Question

What are the products of the reaction between silver and a solution of gold(I) nitrate? Between solutions of nitric acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate?

Answer 1

The products for the first reaction are `"Au(s)" + "AgNO"_3"(aq)"` ; for the second reaction they are `"NaNO"_3"(aq)" + "H"_2"O(l)" + "CO"_2"(g)"`.

Explanation:

Reaction 1

`"Ag(s)" + "AuNO"_3"(aq)" → "?"`

This reaction looks like a single displacement .

Since `"Ag"` is above `"Au"` in the activity series, the reaction will be

`"Ag(s)" + "AuNO"_3"(aq)" → "Au(s)" + "AgNO"_3"(aq)"`

Reaction 2

`"HNO"_3"(aq)"+"NaHCO"_3"(aq)" → "?"`

This reaction looks like a double displacement .

More specifically, it is an acid-base neutralization reaction.

It starts as

`"HNO"_3"(aq)"+"NaHCO"_3"(aq)" → "H"_2"CO"_3"(aq)" + "NaNO"_3"(aq)"`

But the carbonic acid decomposes immediately to `"H"_2"O"` and `"CO"_2`.

`"H"_2"CO"_3"(aq)" → "H"_2"O(l)" + "CO"_2"(g)"`

The overall reaction is

`"HNO"_3"(aq)"+"NaHCO"_3"(aq)" → "NaNO"_3"(aq)" + "H"_2"O(l)" + "CO"_2"(g)"`