A textbook shows the following verbal description of a microscopic (particulate)…
CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · AP · Chemistry · Chemical Reactions · Chemical Reactions
Problem
A textbook shows the following verbal description of a microscopic (particulate) snapshot taken midway through the mixing of two colorless aqueous solutions:
• The container holds a large number of solvated K+ ions (small light-gray spheres) and NO3− ions (small dark-gray spheres) moving randomly in the liquid phase.
• Several pairs of larger yellow spheres (Pb2+) are visible in solution.
• Numerous pairs of medium-sized purple spheres (I−) are also dispersed in solution.
• Distinct clusters in which one yellow sphere is in contact with two purple spheres form compact aggregates that are settling toward the bottom.
No other particle types are present.
(a) Deduce the chemical formulas of the two soluble ionic compounds that were mixed to produce the system described.
(b) Using your answers to part (a), write the balanced molecular equation (including physical states) for the reaction occurring in the container.
(c) Convert the molecular equation from part (b) to the complete ionic equation, showing all aqueous ions explicitly.
(d) Write the net ionic equation for the reaction and verify that both mass and charge are balanced.
(e) Justify, with specific reference to the particulate description, why the ions you omitted from the net ionic equation are spectators.