Certainly! When sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) reacts with zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) in an aqueous solution, a double displacement reaction (also known as a metathesis reaction) takes place. This type of reaction involves the exchange of ions between the two compounds to form new products. Let's break down the reaction step-by-step:
1. Identify the reactants and their formulas:
- Sodium carbonate: Na₂CO₃
- Zinc chloride: ZnCl₂
2. Predict the possible products:
- During a double displacement reaction, the cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negatively charged ions) swap partners. In this case:
- The sodium ions (Na⁺) from sodium carbonate will pair with the chloride ions (Cl⁻) from zinc chloride.
- The zinc ions (Zn²⁺) from zinc chloride will pair with the carbonate ions (CO₃²⁻) from sodium carbonate.
3. Write the balanced chemical equation:
- Na₂CO₃ + ZnCl₂ → 2 NaCl + ZnCO₃
Here, for every one molecule of sodium carbonate, one molecule of zinc chloride is needed to react. The reaction produces two molecules of sodium chloride (NaCl) and one molecule of zinc carbonate (ZnCO₃).
4. Identify the products:
- Sodium chloride (NaCl)
- Zinc carbonate (ZnCO₃)
Therefore, one of the products of the reaction between sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) and zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) in an aqueous solution is zinc carbonate (ZnCO₃).
