[Epidii Heiress]

I apologize if this has been covered before; I searched but couldn't find anything that quite answered my question.

How do you determine the products when writing an equation?  For example, I am trying to finish the equation for zinc sulphate and barium nitrate.

So...
ZnSO₄ + Ba(NO₃)₂ -->

My assumption is that Zn gets stuck to NO₃, and Ba to SO₄, but how do I determine the number of each element/compound? 

I also know I need to then balance the equation, and I have no problems there, just in knowing how to "stick" everything together...

Forgive the ignorance and non-scientific lingo; up until last semester I was a English major.   

[Arkcon]

Start with a complete equation, reactants and products, and we'll take it from there.  You've got the double displacement reaction down, do you know why it happens?  Or why, in some cases, it might not?  You also have to balance the charge, for each compound that makes each product, but you get hints from the reactants, otherwise, there are tables in your chem book (including one BIG one.)  Afterward, you may need to balance the amounts of products and reactant compounds.

You are apparently unsure of one or more of these steps, but your question isn't really clear on what that question is.

[ARGOS++]

Dear Epidii Heiress;

Your intrinsic Question requires in real a very high impact of philosophy and would end in an answer that contains immense “Borrowing”, but for this time not “from Horses”!
This answer you would find if you answer:

I also know I need to then balance the equation, and I have no problems there, ... 

“From ‘where’ do you know it?”

But back to the pure “Handcraft”!:
Your Question and your incomplete Reaction Equation implies that you think about a Reaction that would be possible in Water, and you already know that for each individual Reactant already the following is true:
     ZnSO₄(s)        ------->       Zn²⁺(aq)   +   SO₄^2-(aq)
     Ba(N03)₂(s)     ------->       Ba²⁺(aq)   +  2NO₃^-(aq)

So why your assumption is not that nothing will happen and you can only “mathematically” add both Equations, as it is allowed for NaCl and MgSO₄, at least as long as you are enough diluted?
What force could be the cause for such a change as you assume?
And you know that in this case the change can only take place on the Product-side from above.

With simple words:
Are you able to check your assumption for a very high likelihood? —  Yes! you are!

What must hold for your assumption?
Your defined “Products” must be possible and you must identify the “required” force and its direction!

For the first you have already “named” the Products, even if you don’t know the real indices yet!
And so you are able to ask “the Internet”, or Yahoo!, or “Wiki”, that your Products have a “Right” to exist (= are possible), and in which form!
But at the same time you can also search for the force, because the force must result (expose its existence) in a more or less dramatic change of one or more properties on the product-side!

And if you do that, I’m sure, - you, and all others, will have a big success!
And that’s not only for this time!

All other is only pure “Handcraft” you declared that you know it.

[Edited:]
In case it should be anyway required use the recipe in:  "Stoichiometry Problem”
Therein is also an Example Diagram: How to do a “Stoichiometry Problem”.


Good Luck!
                    ARGOS⁺⁺

[sammiecat]

Hi there,

I believe I am taking the same Chemistry Grade 12 course as you.  I am stumped on the same problem.  Nothing in my booklet for this course tells me what in the hell I am supposed to do to find the products.

I have emailed an instructor to help me with this question, and if I happen to get a helpful answer I will try to remember to post it on here or to email you directly (I think your email address is on your forum here).

I didn't take grade 12 Chemistry when I was in high school (over 12 years ago), so perhaps "finding the products" is something I learned in Grade 11 Chemistry, but for the life of me, right now, I do not have a clue as to go about finding the solution.

Help is on its way!  I will keep you posted when I find out how to do these solutions.

[ARGOS++]

Dear Sammiecat;

It seems that both of you don’t have much experiences in naming Compounds!

As you can easily get from “my” both Equations, which show you what is going on in the moment you dissolve each Reactant separately in water, there are nearly only two possible ways left:

No Reaction will occur at all, or the Reaction Epidii Heiress assumes will take place.

So you have only to valid that the Products are possible and why!
I assumed that both of you knows, that SO₄^2- is called “Sulfate” and NO₃^- is called “Nitrate”.
And if you would ask “Wiki” for the second Product you will find, that it will move out of the Solution, because it will p…., and that’s the force that drives the “whole” Reaction!

But at the same time you see also the correct Formulas for both Products, and now you are able to do the Stoichiometry as I told above!

Could this be a way worth to follow?

Good Luck!
                    ARGOS⁺⁺