Review Chapter 4 sections 1-8
- Chemical Reactions
- Why do reactions occur anyway? To lower energy and entropy of
the reactants. Many reactions occur in water = aqueous chemistry.
- There are three main types of reactions we will look at in the
chapter:
- precipitation reactions: typically look like
this: (aq) + (aq) g
(s) + (aq) A precipitate solid is formed. (The cations swap
anion partners)

- acid base / neutralization reactions: HA(aq) + MOH(aq)
g H2O(l) + MA(aq)
- redox reactions: when electrons are transferred so
that oxidation states change: Cu2+(aq) + Mg(s)
g Cu(s) + Mg2+(aq)
- Try problem 4.1
- Electrolytes - solution containing lots of ions
- Compare covalent compounds and ionic compounds in water:
- Sugar dissolves in water. It is a covalent compound.
When it dissolves the molecules stay intact - they just separate
from each other. The IMF (such as dipole dipole forces)
between the molecules are broken, but NOT the covalent bonds (that
hold the atoms within one molecule). Note that to determine
solubility of covalent compounds in a liquid the general rule is
"like dissolves like" which means polar liquids dissolve
polar compounds and nonpolar liquids dissolve nonpolar
compounds. Sugar water does not conduct electricity since
there are no ions - it is a non-electrolyte.






- Salt
also dissolves in water, BUT it goes one step further.
Besides having the NaCl units separate from each other, they also
break apart into the Na+ and Cl- ions.
When ionic compounds dissolve in water they also dissociate
= ionize = break into ions. The ionic bonds
actually break so that the ion-dipole forces can form when each ion
is surrounded by water. If the ion-dipole forces will be more
stabilizing than the original ionic bonds, a salt will
dissolve. Note that to determine solubility of ionic compounds
in water we use solubility rules. Soluble ionic compounds put lots
on ions into solution so they make strong electrolytes.
Insoluble ionic compounds only put a few ions into solution so they
make weak electrolytes. Electrolytes conduct
electricity.
- Watch
this movie. Here's another one if you click on Activities
and Dissolution
of NaCl movie.
- Acids break the generalization. Acids are covalent molecules
that actually ionize as though they were ionic compounds! For
example HCl (hydrochloric acid) in water can ionize into H+(aq)
and Cl-(aq) ions. Practically all the HCl will ionize,
thus putting lots of ions in solution - strong electrolyte. Weak
acids are acids that ionize just a little bit putting some ions in
solution = weak electrolyte. Weak acids set up equilibrium since the
reaction is never over - the rxn goes forwards and backwards
forever.
- Summary Table
| Strong Electrolytes ionize
> 70% |
Weak Electrolytes ionize
< 70% |
Non Electrolytes ionize 0% |
| soluble ionic compounds |
insoluble ionic compounds |
most covalent compounds |
| strong acids |
weak acids |
|
| strong bases |
weak acids |
|
conducts well
 |
conducts a little |
don't conduct at all |
- Watch these two electrolyte movies by clicking on Activities then Electrolytes
movie and Strong
and Weak Electrolytes movie.
- How many ions are in solution if I have 0.444 moles of calcium
carbonate in water? 0.444 moles CaCO3 (2 ions / CaCO3)(6.02
x 1023 / mol) = 5.35 x 1023 ions. Note CaCO3
contains 2 ions: Ca2+ and CO32-.
If the question had asked about nickel(III) nitrate there would have
been 4 ions. Look at
Example 4.1, Table 4.1, then try problems 4.2 and 4.3.
- Ionic and Net Ionic Reactions
- Given this reaction: copper(II) nitrate plus potassium carbonate
in water. Write and balance the reaction. Draw pictures of
the reactants and products. Use your solubility rules to determine
which of these ionic compounds are ionized in water and which are
solids. Remember precipitation reactions are swap partner reactions
(also called double displacement)
-
Answer: Cu(NO3)2(aq) + K2CO3(aq)
g CuCO3(s) + 2 KNO3(aq)
This is the molecular reaction. Here are the beakers. Water
molecules are omitted for clarity.

- Notice the molecular reaction doesn't really reflect reality.
All the (aq) species are ions in water - not bonded together. So
we can write ionic reactions which
show all the ionized species as ions: Cu2+(aq) +
2 NO3-(aq) + 2 K+(aq) + CO32-(aq)
g CuCO3(s) + 2 NO3-(aq)
+ 2 K+(aq) This is much closer to reality and matches
the picture above much better. It is just a pain to write it all
out!
YOU have to remember
that the (aq) state really means dissolved and ionized and surrounded
by water for ionic compounds.
- Now we can write the net ionic reaction where
we cross out the ions that appear on both sides called spectator
ions since they don't do anything and are not part of the
reaction really. What are the spectator ions? See the
potassium and nitrate ions are on both sides - they did nothing.
Cross them out. Cu2+(aq) + CO32-(aq)
g CuCO3(s)
- Try example 4.2 and problem
4.4
- Precipitation Reactions
- Defined above. Cations swap anion partners = double
displacement. Remember to look at solubility rules to determine if
the ionic compounds are ionized in water or solid. Now that we have
already seen one reaction worked out - here are the steps to take when
writing reactions:
- Will a reaction occur or is it no reaction (NR)? If
nothing changes at all there is no reaction.
- Write the correct product formulas so that compounds add up to
zero. (don't even pay attention to the reactant formulas - they
have nothing to do with it) Review oxidation states and ionic
formulas on the Help page if needed.
- Write the state: solid, liquid, gas or aqueous
- last of all balance (because of the Law of Conservation of
Mass)

- Write and balance the molecular, ionic and net ionic reaction between
lithium nitrate and sodium sulfate. Well hum, Check it out -
we have four kinds of ions in solution before reaction - Li+,
NO3-, Na+, and SO42-.
The minus ions won't react - they repel each other. The positive
ions won't react - they repel each other. Li+ and NO3-
don't react or they would not have dissolved in the first place.
Na+ and SO42- don't react or they also
would not have dissolved in the first place. So the only possible
products are lithium sulfate and sodium nitrate - both are soluble and
ionized in water! So we end with the same ions in solution.
Nothing happened. NR.
- Write and balance the molecular, ionic and net ionic reaction between
potassium sulfide and magnesium iodide.
- First imagine the products - potassium iodide and magnesium
sulfide. One of those is insoluble so there is a rxn.
- K2S + MgI2 g
KI + MgS (these are the correct formulas: KI since
+1-1=0 and MgS since +2-2=0)
- K2S(aq) + MgI2(aq) g
KI(aq) + MgS(s) from solubility rules
- K2S(aq) + MgI2(aq) g
2 KI(aq) + MgS(s) balanced!

- Imagine a picture - draw it yourself! In one beaker there is
two K+ and one S2- ions. In the second
beaker there is one Mg2+ and 2 I- ions.
Pour them together and we get MgS solid sinking to the bottom with
two K+ and two I- ions still ionized in the
water. The ionic reaction reflects this.
- Ionic rxn: 2 K+(aq) + S2-(aq) + Mg2+(aq)
+ 2 I-(aq) g
2 K+(aq) + 2 I-(aq) + MgS(s)
- Net ionic rxn: S2-(aq) + Mg2+(aq)
g MgS(s)
(spectator ions were potassium and iodide)
- Write the molecular, ionic and net ionic reactions
for adding an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate with a solution of
lead(II) nitrate.
- Figure out the products - NaNO3 and PbSO4
Are they soluble? NaNO3 is soluble but PbSO4
is not.
- Now write the three versions of the reaction, don't forget to
balance them. Draw it if you want to.
- Na2SO4(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) g 2 NaNO3(aq) + PbSO4(s)
- 2 Na+(aq) + SO42-(aq) +
Pb2+(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq) g
2 Na+(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq) + PbSO4 (s)
- SO42-(aq) + Pb2+(aq)
g PbSO4(s)
- Write and balance the molecular, ionic and net ionic reaction
between silver nitrate and sodium chloride.
- NaCl(aq) + AgNO3(aq) g
AgCl (s) + NaNO3(aq)
- Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + Ag+(aq)
+ NO3-(aq) g
AgCl (s) + Na+(aq) + NO3-(aq)
- Cl-(aq) + Ag+(aq) g
AgCl
(s) Note that Na+ and NO3-
cancelled out - they are the spectator ions
- Precipitation
movie.
- Try examples 4.3 to 4.5 and
problems 4.5 to 4.8
- Acid Base / Neutralization Reactions
- Acids - species that ionize and lose H+ ions in water.
Generic acid HA g
H+(aq) + A-(aq).
- Strong
acids are those in which almost all of the molecules lose H+
ions in water. Strong acids are soluble
in water and are strong electrolytes since they ionize almost 100%. These are
strong acids: HCl = hydrochloric
acid, HBr = hydrobromic acid, HI - hydroiodic acid, HNO3 =
nitric acid, and H2SO4
= sulfuric acid. HCl g
H+(aq) + Cl-(aq).
- Weak acids ionize much less than 100% so are weak electrolytes
since they make few ions. Acetic acid in vinegar CH3COOH
and HF are weak acids. They set up equilibrium in water. HF
D H+(aq) + F-(aq).
- Please note that H+ does not really exist - it is
shorthand for H3O+ because H+ jumps
on a water molecule. Remember acids lose H+ by
"people that take acids are losers"
Watch this acid movie by clicking on Activities then Intro
to Acids movie.
- What makes something acidic is H+ ions in water.
- Bases - species that make OH- ions in water. Most are metal
hydroxides. Generic base MOH g
M+(aq) + OH-(aq).
- Strong bases are soluble and ionize in water. These are strong bases: NaOH = sodium hydroxide, KOH = potassium hydroxide,
LiOH = lithium hydroxide, and Ba(OH)2 = barium hydroxide.
Strong bases are strong electrolytes since they ionize almost
100% KOH g K+(aq)
+ OH-(aq)
- Weak bases ionize much less than 100% so they are weak
electrolytes since they make just a few ions. Magnesium
hydroxide and ammonia are weak bases. Mg(OH)2 is
only slightly soluble in water (Milk of Magnesia). Ammonia
does not even contain the OH- ion but it reacts with
water like this; NH3(aq) + H2O(l) D
NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq). So it
creates some OH-ions.
- What makes something basic is hydroxide ions being present. Watch
this base movie by clicking on Activities then Intro
to Bases movie.
- Now the neutralization reaction is
when we add an acid already in water to a base already in water. A typical acid base reaction is: acid + base g
ionic salt + water. In other words, the H from the acid combines
with the OH from the base to make a water molecule and the other
elements combine to form an ionic salt which is usually soluble. Note that this is a
double displacement reaction.
- Example - write and balance the molecular, ionic, and net ionic
reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide:
- HCl(aq)
+ NaOH(aq) g NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)
- the ionic is H+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + Na+(aq) + OH-(aq) g
Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + H2O(l)
- and
finally the net ionic reaction is H+(aq) + OH-(aq) g H2O(l)
and the spectator ions are sodium and chloride.
- Example - write and balance the chemical, ionic, and net ionic
reaction between sulfuric acid and lithium hydroxide:
- 2 LiOH(aq) +
H2SO4(aq) g
Li2SO4(aq) + 2 H2O(l) is the molecular reaction.
- 2 Li+(aq) +2 OH-(aq) + 2 H+(aq) +
SO42-(aq) g
2 Li+(aq) + SO42- (aq)
+ 2 H2O(l) is the ionic reaction.
- OH-(aq)
+ H+(aq) g H2O(l) is the net ionic reaction.
(the 2 coefficients cancel out)
- Try example 4.6 and problems
4.9 and 4.10
- Oxidation and Reduction
- Redox reactions are so very important:
- formation reactions (element + element g
compound)
- combustion reactions (CxHy + O2(g) g
CO2(g) + H2O(g))
- single replacement reactions (Sn(s) + Cu(NO3)2(aq)
g Sn(NO3)2(aq)
+ Cu(s))
- corrosion reactions (4 Fe(s) + 3 O2(g) g
2 Fe2O3(s))
- respiration, bleaching, and batteries also!

- It's all about charges (oxidation states) changing! You MUST
KNOW THE OXIDATION STATES.
- oxidation is losing electrons so the charge goes up
- reduction is gaining electrons so the charge is reduced (goes
down)
- You must have both together - and electron is transferred from
what is getting oxidized to what is getting reduced
- What are the oxidation states for:
- H2O (H is +1 and O is -2)
- CO2 (C is +4 and O is -2)
- N2 (N is 0) all elements are zero
- Ni2O3 (O is -2 to that means Ni
must be +3)
- Try example 4.7 and problem
4.11
- Redox Reactions
- Watch this base movie by clicking on Activities then oxidation
and reduction part I movie.
- Example of a redox reaction: Co (s) + Pb2+(aq) g
Pb (s) + Co2+(aq) is a single replacement rxn
- Co goes from zero to +2
- Pb2+ goes from +2 to zero
- What is oxidized? Co (s)
- What is reduced? Pb2+(aq)
- What is the oxidizing agent? Pb2+(aq)
- What is the reducing agent? Co (s)
- This is already a net ionic reaction by the way. You can't
actually have positive charges without negative charges.
- Example: CH4(g) + 2 O2(g) g
CO2(g) + 2 H2O(g) a combustion reaction
- C in CH4 goes from -4 to a +4 in CO2
- O in O2 goes from zero to -2 in CO2 and H2O
- What is oxidized? C in CH4
- What is reduced? O in O2
- What is the oxidizing agent? O2
- What is the reducing agent? CH4
- Note also that the answer to those
four questions is never a product since they are being formed. There
is not ionic rxn here since there are NO IONS!
- Example: 2 Na (s) + 2 HCl (aq) g
2 NaCl(aq) + H2(g) is a single replacement
rxn
- Na goes from zero in the solid to +1 in NaCl
- H goes from +1 in HCl to zero in hydrogen gas
- What is oxidized? Na (s)
- What is reduced? H in HCl(aq)
- What is the oxidizing agent? HCl(aq)
- What is the reducing agent? Na (s)
- What is the net ionic reaction? 2 Na (s) + 2 H+(aq) g
2 Na+(aq) + H2
(g) (Cl was just a spectator)
- Try example 4.8 and problems
4.12 and 4.13
- Activity Series
- How did I know if those single replacement reactions would
occur? Well the activity series lets you know. The MORE
active metal or cation wants to be an ion in a compound. The LESS
active metal or cation wants to be in its elemental state. Look at
example D and B above again and look at the activity series.
- Practice
these fabulous examples
- Watch the formation
of silver crystals movie here by clicking on Activities. It is a
single replacement rxn
- Watch
another single replacement reaction here.
- Try example 4.9 and problems
4.14 and 4.15
- Write the reaction between solid copper and lead(II) nitrate.
Actually NR since Cu is less active and want to be elemental solid
copper anyway.
- Write the molecular, ionic and net ionic reaction between solid zinc
and lead(II) nitrate. Remember the 4 steps?
- Yes there is a reaction since zinc is more active and wants to be
in the compound more than lead.
- Products would be solid lead Pb(s) and zinc nitrate Zn(NO3)2(aq)
(remember Zn is always +2 charged)
- Zn(s) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) g
Pb(s) + Zn(NO3)2(aq)
- already balanced

- ionic reactions: Zn(s) + Pb2+(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq)
g
Pb(s) + Zn2+(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq)
- net ionic: Zn(s) + Pb2+(aq) g
Pb(s) + Zn2+(aq) (nitrate was a
spectator ion)
- What is oxidized, reduced? What are the agents?
oxidized is solid Zn as its charge goes up, reduced is lead 2+ ion
as its charge goes down, the ox agent is lead 2+ ions and the red
agent is solid zinc.
- The most active metal is Li. why is it active anyway?
Well because Li WANTS to be +1 charged so it can be like a noble
gas. Na is also active because it wants to be +1 charged. Remember
the metal atoms goal in life - to be s2p6 and they
do that by losing electrons. The transition metals are not as
active since changing their d electrons is not that important to
them.
Done!!!
Study this chapter hard. It is so important.
Practice problems from the text: 24,
30, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 50, 60, 62, 64, 66