Question

What will happen if I mix copper(II) sulfate and sodium carbonate?

Answer 1

It depends on whether you are mixing the solids or their aqueous solutions.

Explanation:

Mixing the solids

If you are mixing the solids, there will be no reaction.

All you will get is a heterogeneous mixture of the two solids.

`underbrace("CuSO"_4"(s)")_color(red)("white") + underbrace("Na"_2"CO"_3"(s)")_color(red)("white") → underbrace(overbrace("CuSO"_4"(s)" + "Na"_2"CO"_3"(s)")^(color(blue)("heterogeneous mixture")))_color(red)("white")`

The mixture of the two white solids is still white.

Mixing the aqueous solutions

You will get a pale blue-green precipitate.

This is a complicated reaction.

You do NOT get the expected product `"CuCO"_3`, which is unstable in the presence of water.

Instead, you get "basic copper carbonate", `"Cu"_2"CO"_3"(OH)"_2`.

The balanced equation is

`underbrace("2CuSO"_4"(aq)")_color(red)("blue") + "2Na"_2"CO"_3"(s)" + "H"_2"O(l)"`

`→ underbrace("Cu"_2"CO"_3"(OH)"_2"(s)")_color(red)("blue-green") + "2Na"_2"SO"_4"(s)" + "CO"_2"(g)"`

Here's a video showing the reaction.