The reaction of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) is a double displacement reaction that produces a white precipitate of silver chloride (AgCl) and calcium nitrate (Ca(NO₃)₂) in solution.

Here's the balanced chemical equation:

2AgNO₃(aq) + CaCl₂(aq) → 2AgCl(s) + Ca(NO₃)₂(aq)

Explanation:

* AgNO₃ and CaCl₂ are both soluble ionic compounds, meaning they dissociate into their ions in solution.

* The silver ions (Ag⁺) from silver nitrate react with the chloride ions (Cl⁻) from calcium chloride to form silver chloride (AgCl), which is insoluble and precipitates out of solution as a white solid.

* The remaining ions, calcium (Ca²⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻), remain in solution as calcium nitrate (Ca(NO₃)₂) .

Key observations:

* Formation of a white precipitate (AgCl).

* The reaction is exothermic (releases heat).

This reaction is a classic example of a precipitation reaction and is often used in chemistry demonstrations.