Why will no salt form in the reaction between AgCl and HNO3?

2 Answers
Feb 18, 2018

Since #AgCl# is not a base, the reaction will not form a salt.

Explanation:

In neutralisation reactions, an acid and a base react to give a salt and water.

For example, #HCl+NaOHrarrNaCl+H_2O#.

Here, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide (a base) react to give sodium chloride (a salt) and water.

Here, #HNO_3# is an acid. It is nitric acid, in fact. However, #AgCl#, or silver chloride, is not a base, and so does not form a salt. Surprisingly, #AgCl# itself is a salt, and a product of a neutralisation reaction: that between hydrochloric acid and silver hydroxide.

Feb 18, 2018

No salt will form because the position of equilibrium lies far to the left.

Explanation:

In other words, the silver chloride is too insoluble to react,

You might predict the equation

#"AgCl(s)" + "HNO"_3"(aq)" → "AgNO"_3"(aq)" + "HCl"#

The ionic equation would be

#"AgCl(s)" + "H"^"+""(aq)" + "NO"_3^"-""(aq)" → "Ag"^"+""(aq)" + "NO"_3"(aq)" + "H"^"+""(aq)"+"Cl"^"-""(aq)"#

The net ionic equation is

#"AgCl(s)" ⇌ "Ag"^"+""(aq)" +"Cl"^"-""(aq)"#

For this quilibrium,

#K_text(sp) = 1.77 × 10^"-10"#

Thus, the position of equilibrium lies far to the left.

You should not expect to get more than 13 µmol/L #"AgNO"_3#.