Question

Magnesium reacts with titanium(4) chloride to produce magnesium chloride and titanium metal. How do you write a balanced equation for this reaction?

Answer 1

`2 Mg + TiCl_4 rarr 2 MgCl_2 + Ti`

Explanation:

Because the magnesium ion has a +2 charge, the formula for magnesium chloride is `MgCl_2`.

To balance the four Cl ions in titanium (IV) chloride, the reaction must produce 2 units of `MgCl_2`

Answer 2

`TiCl_4 + 2Mg rarr Ti + 2MgCl_2`

Explanation:

We could do this by individual redox steps:

`TiCl_4 + 4e^(-) rarr Ti + 4Cl^-` `(i)`

`Mgrarr Mg^(2+) + 2e^-` `(ii)`

`(i) + 2xx(ii)=` `TiCl_4 +2Mgrarr Ti +2MgCl_2`

With all chemical reactions, 2 conditions must be absolutely satisfied: (i) mass must be balanced; and (ii) charge must be balanced. Well, is they?

Note that just because I can write the reaction, there is no likelihood that the reaction can be performed. Should I attempt to reduce the chloride with magnesium metal I would likely get a mess. Titanic chloride is unstable with respect to water and dioxygen.