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Introduction to Precipitation Reaction
Precipitation Reaction in Chemistry: Precipitation is a chemical reaction between two ions in which one solid is formed. The solid that is formed is called a precipitate. The precipitate is often insoluble in the solvent in which it is formed. Precipitation reactions can also used to determine the solubility product constant for a compound.
Overview of Precipitation Reaction
Precipitation is a chemical reaction that occurs when two or more substances, usually a solid and a liquid, combine to form a new substance. The solid substance in a precipitation reaction is called the precipitate. In aqueous solution, precipitation reactions often involve the formation of an insoluble compound.
Precipitation Reaction – Definition and Meaning
- Precipitation reaction is a type of chemical reaction in which a solid formed from two or more dissolved substances. The solid that formed is called a precipitate. Precipitation reactions can divided into two categories: precipitation of an insoluble solid and also precipitation of a soluble solid.
- In precipitation of an insoluble solid, one of the dissolved substances is insoluble in water. The other dissolved substance soluble in water and therefore it will dissolve in it. When the two substances mixed, the insoluble solid will precipitate out of the solution.
- In precipitation of a soluble solid, one of the dissolved substances is soluble in water. The other dissolved substance insoluble in water. When the two substances are mixed, the soluble solid will precipitate out of the solution.
Precipitation Example
Precipitation is the process of a water molecule transferring from the gaseous state to a liquid state, such as rain, snow, or hail. This can caused by several factors, including warm air meeting cold air, the sun’s heat, or the evaporation of water. When the conditions are right, precipitation will form and fall from the sky.
Uses of Precipitation
Precipitation used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Growing crops
- Producing hydroelectric power
- Draining water from land
- Supplying water to homes and businesses
- Helping to control flooding
- Also providing a recreational resource
3 Ways of Recovering a Precipitate
There are three ways to recover a precipitate:
- Filter the precipitate from the solution.
- Decant the solution off of the precipitate.
- Scoop the precipitate out of the solution with a spoon.
Properties of Precipitates
The following are some general properties of precipitates:
Properties of the Precipitation Reaction and its Precipitates
- The precipitation reaction is an acid-base reaction in which an acid and a base react to form a salt and water.
- The precipitate is a solid that forms as a result of the reaction.
- The precipitate is usually insoluble in water, which means that it does not dissolve in water.
Precipitation and Double Replacement Reactions
When two compounds interact to produce a new compound and two molecules of water, the process called a double replacement reaction. In this type of reaction, the positive ions of one compound exchange places with the positive ions of the other compound. Therefore negative ions remain the same.
The following equation shows a double replacement reaction between sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium iodide (KI).
NaCl (aq) + KI (aq) → NaI (aq) + KCl (aq)
In the equation, NaCl and KI are the reactants, and NaI and KCl are the products.
Solubility Rules
Salts of
- strong acids and strong bases are soluble.
- weak acids and strong bases are soluble.
- weak acids and weak bases are also soluble.
- Salts of strong acids and weak bases are insoluble.
Net Ionic Equations
A net ionic equation is an equation that shows the complete ionic equation for a particular reaction. Therefore complete ionic equation includes all of the spectator ions and the ions that are participating in the reaction.
Applications of Precipitation Reaction
- Precipitation reactions used in a number of different industries.
- One such industry is the pharmaceutical industry.
- Precipitation reactions used to create drugs and other pharmaceuticals.
- This reactions also used in the food industry.
- They used to create food additives, flavorings, and colorings.
- This reactions also used in the environmental industry.
- Used to clean up pollutants and to purify water.
Examples of Precipitation Reaction in Everyday Life
A precipitation reaction is a chemical reaction in which two soluble substances, usually salts, combine to form a solid. Precipitation reactions often occur when two solutions mixed together and one is more acidic than the other. In this case, the acid will dissolve the more alkaline substance, and the two solutions will mix until the acid has completely dissolved the alkaline material. At this point, the two solutions will be at the same pH, and the solid will precipitate out of the solution. Some common precipitation reactions include the formation of rust, the formation of snow, and the formation of hail.
