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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Herst on February 20, 2008, 01:47:00 PM

Title: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: Herst on February 20, 2008, 01:47:00 PM
can anyone help me on how to set up this equation?

Aluminum nitrite and ammonium chloride react to form aluminum chloride, nitrogen, and water

i know it yields Cl + N + H2O but I cant figure out the reactants.
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 02:13:33 PM
Do some google/wikipedia searches to find out the correct structural formulas for the starting materials and products.  Then we can work on balancing the equation.
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: Arkcon on February 20, 2008, 02:20:10 PM
Quote from: sapience on February 20, 2008, 01:47:00 PM
...react to form aluminum chloride, nitrogen, and water

OK

Quote
i know it yields Cl + N + H2O

Umm...fix this first

Quote
but I cant figure out the reactants.

OK, but  ...

Quote
Aluminum nitrite and ammonium chloride react to form ...

What can I say, except, ???
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: Herst on February 20, 2008, 02:25:03 PM
Quote from: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 02:13:33 PM
Do some google/wikipedia searches to find out the correct structural formulas for the starting materials and products.  Then we can work on balancing the equation.

Okay is this information correct?

AlNO2 + NH4Cl -> AlCl + N + H2O
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 02:31:03 PM
AlNO2 + NH4Cl -> AlCl + N + H2O

no, yes, no, no, yes.

For aluminum nitrite, what is the charge on the aluminum cation?  nitrite anion?  Same for aluminum chloride.  nitrogen is a gas under the experimental conditions.  Elemental nitrogen doesn't really exist as 'N'
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: Herst on February 20, 2008, 02:37:54 PM
Oh ok I didn't think about the ionic compounds.  So it would be...

Al(NO2)3 - aluminum nitrite
AlCl3 - aluminum chloride

correct or no?

and if nitrogen doesn't exist by itself then how would I put it in the equation?  Would it be like oxygen (O2); so N2?
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 02:39:52 PM
yes, yes, and yes.

now try to balance the equation
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: Herst on February 20, 2008, 02:48:14 PM
Im pretty sure this is correct:

Al(NO2)3 + 3NH4Cl -> AlCl3 + 3N2 + 6H2O


thank you for your help
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 03:05:44 PM
Well done.

Side notes:  hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine are all diatomic in their elemental state (i.e. X2), with all except bromine (liquid) being gasses.

does the problem require you to identify what state each compound will be in (solid, aqueous, etc)?  do you know what they'll be?

For anyone:  how long do you think aluminum trichloride is going to hang around in the presence of superstoichiometric water?  how about aluminum nitrite once those first molecules of water form?  does this seem like a really bad experiment to run to anyone else?
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 03:15:49 PM
Quote
all except bromine (liquid) being gasses.

oops. and iodine (solid).
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: Herst on February 20, 2008, 03:30:33 PM
does the problem require you to identify what state each compound will be in (solid, aqueous, etc)?  do you know what they'll be?
[/quote]

No after I found the equation and balanced it, I had to find the limiting reactant and the amount of excess after the equation which is pretty easy.

How would you be able to tell a compounds state of matter?  I know that aqueous solutions are something dissolved in a liquid, but we haven't gotten that far in my class yet.
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 03:35:39 PM
If you haven't gotten there in class, then you can disregard my question.  You'll get there (although you can certainly google it if you want to know sooner :)  it's probably also somewhere else on this forum if you're curious.
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: Arkcon on February 20, 2008, 03:40:57 PM
Quote from: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 03:05:44 PM
For anyone:  how long do you think aluminum trichloride is going to hang around in the presence of superstoichiometric water?  how about aluminum nitrite once those first molecules of water form?  does this seem like a really bad experiment to run to anyone else?

It seems like a funny question, that's for sure.  Maybe they're meant to be mixed dry and heated, to melt and drive off all gases and water?  Or just a random chemical formula balancing question.
Title: Re: how would you set up this equation!?
Post by: azmanam on February 20, 2008, 03:44:17 PM
Quote
Maybe they're meant to be mixed dry and heated, to melt and drive off all gases and water?  Or just a random chemical formula balancing question.

I like the later.  Good theory all around.  Good practice problem regardless of the actual physical outcome.