Question

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

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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`.