How could distinguish between solid barium chloride and solid barium sulfate? Select all that apply.
Only barium sulfate is soluble in water.
Add silver nitrate (AgNO3) to each sample. If the sample dissolves, it is barium chloride.
Only barium choride is soluble in water.
Add hydrochloric acid (HCI) to each sample. If the sample dissolves, it is barium chloride.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answers are:
- Only barium chloride is soluble in water.
- Add hydrochloric acid (HCl) to each sample. If the sample dissolves, it is barium chloride.
Explanation:
Barium chloride (BaCl₂) and barium sulfate (BaSO₄) are both white solids, making them visually indistinguishable. However, their solubility properties provide a way to differentiate them.
Solubility in Water
Barium chloride is highly soluble in water, whereas barium sulfate is almost completely insoluble. If a sample dissolves in water, it is barium chloride. If it does not dissolve, it is likely barium sulfate.
Reaction with Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
Adding hydrochloric acid (HCl) to both solids helps distinguish them. Barium chloride dissolves easily in HCl because it is already soluble in water. Barium sulfate, on the other hand, remains insoluble even in strong acids like HCl. Therefore, if a sample dissolves in HCl, it is barium chloride; if it does not, it is barium sulfate.
Why Not Silver Nitrate (AgNO₃)?
Silver nitrate reacts with chloride ions (Cl⁻) to form silver chloride (AgCl), which is an insoluble white precipitate. However, this test does not differentiate between the two solids directly. It would confirm the presence of chloride ions in a dissolved solution, but since barium sulfate does not dissolve in water, this method is impractical.
Conclusion
To distinguish between barium chloride and barium sulfate, checking solubility in water or solubility in hydrochloric acid are the most effective methods.