Question

In the reaction between silver nitrate and sodium chloride, what is the role of nitrate and sodium ions in solution?

Answer 1

Both `Na^+` and `NO_3^-` will be spectators.

Explanation:

We go back to simple solubility rules. All alkali metals salts are soluble. All nitrates are soluble. All halides are soluble (except for those of `Ag^+` and `Hg_2^(2+)`). All hydroxides are insoluble (except for previous).

So the net ionic equation representing the reaction is:

`Ag^+ + OH^(-) rarr AgOH(s)darr`

Silver hydroxide is not a well-characterized species. Its likely formulation is `Ag_2O*(OH_2)`, a hydrous oxide of silver, but you don't need to know this in 6th form.