Question

Will the double displacement reactions below actually occur? Why or why not? Can a double displacement reaction occur if both products are aq???

Answer 1

All of these are solubility equilibria, in the first case driven by the formation of insoluble `AgCl`.....

Explanation:

`NaCl(aq) +AgNO_3(aq)rarrAgCl(s)darr + NaNO_3(aq)`

Silver chloride precipitates as a curdy, white solid.

`Ba(NO_3)_2(aq) + 2KCl(aq) rightleftharpoons BaCl_2(aq) + 2KNO_3(aq)`

Here, the equilibrium mixture would simply contain `Ba^(2+)`, `K^+`, `NO_3^-`, and `Cl^-` ions......

And likewise for the last reaction.....

`Li_2SO_4(aq) + 2NH_4NO_3(aq) rarr 2LiNO_3(aq) + (NH_4)_2SO_4(aq)`

And here the equilibrium mixture contains, lithium, ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate ions in solution, with no precipitation of an insoluble material.