1) Assume that you mixed HCl and CuSO 4 solutions. If a reaction would have occu

Question

1) Assume that you mixed HCl and CuSO4 solutions. If a reaction would have occured, write an equation for the reaction. If no reaction occurs, explain why.

2) Zn is less active than Mg. Write the equations describing what occurs when you mix: (shown below)

a) Zn with 0.5M magnesium chloride, MgCl2. (If no reaction occurs, write "No Reaction")

b) Mg with 0.5M ZnCl2. (If no reaction occurs, write "No Reaction")

3) Explain which metal, Cu, Fe, or Al, would be most affected by acid rain?

4) Will acidic foods cooked in a cast iron skillet become Fe2+ enriched because of a reaction between the acidic food and the skillet? Explain why.

Explanation / Answer

If you mix a solution of CuSO4 with HCl no specific reaction occurs. You have a solution containing a mixture of soluble ions: Cu2+, Cl-, SO4 2- and H+ ions. There is nothing to "drive" any reaction and no precipitate or gas will form - hence no reaction has occured.
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To clarify this matter further I apend an answer provided some time ago by a very experienced contributor to this forum:

Your teacher may expect something like this:
CuSO4(aq) + HCl(aq) --> CuCl2(aq) + H2SO4(aq)
But that really doesn't represent the actual substances very well. In fact, in an advanced chemistry class, AP class, I would count that wrong. In a first-year class, I probably wouldn't even give this "reaction" unless I expected the net ionic equation as the answer.

Copper sulfate is quite soluble in water, so it is dissociated into copper (II) ions and sulfate ions, as is hydrochloric acid, and copper (II) chloride. Even H2SO4, which is a strong acid dissociates to make H+ and SO4=.

So if we represent everything in its ionic form, we get:

Cu++ + SO4= + 2H+ + 2Cl- --> Cu++ + 2Cl- + HSO4- + H+

You can see that the copper ions, and chloride ions and one hydrogen ion didn't do anything.

Therefore, the only reaction is an equilibrium between a hydrogen ion and the sulfate ion where the Keq is about 83*. Here is the net ionic equation, and what I consider the correct answer.

H+ + SO4= <==> HSO4-


*The equilibrium constant for this is the reciprocal of the Ka for bisulfate ion. Ka2 = 1.2 x 10^-2.
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I think that this sums up the situation much better than I could - my thanks to the other contributor - who if he reads this will know that I have used his work.

2)I'll keep it simple. In the reactivity series (see sources), zinc is lower down than magnesium. Basically consider that this means that it is weaker than magnesium. To displace magnesium (replace the magnesium ion), it needs to be stronger than it. Think about it like trying to push a person stronger than you, the stronger person won't move. On the other hand, since magnesium is higher on the reactivity series than zinc (the higher up it is, the stronger it is), it will be able to displace it. Which means, that in the same reaction but with other ions, calcium and up would be able to displace it and anything below aluminium would not.
Hope this helps / is right, haven't done this stuff for a while.

3)The answer related to the activity series of the metals, which defines which metals are most reactive. Of the three, aluminum is highest on the activity series, indicating that it is the most reactive of the three. Aluminum metal will react with the hydrogen ions in acid rain to produce aluminum ions and hydrogen gas:

2Al(s) + 6H+(aq) --> 2Al3+(aq) + 3H2(g)

Also note that since copper is below hydrogen ions in the activity series, it will not react with acid rain.

4)

It would be an "acidic oxidation reduction" reaction in which the Fe in acid had a positive Ecell going to Fe2+.

So basically, you'd get extra iron in your food. Good if you're anemic?


Ok. What you have to check though is an oxidation reduction potentail sheet whether Fe2+ ---> Fe or Fe---->Fe2+ is positive. Because it could well be that Fe-----> Fe2+ is not spontaneous

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