Question

How do you write the equation for this reaction: Potassium chloride and silver nitrate react to form potassium nitrate and silver chloride?

Answer 1

Hint Potassium chloride is a metal composed of potassium and chloride. It is white crystalline solid which readily dissolves in water and silver nitrate is an inorganic compound represented by the chemical formula $AgN{{O}_{3}}$ which is basically used in photography.

Complete solution:
> Potassium chloride is represented by the chemical formula $KCl$ and silver nitrate is represented by $AgN{{O}_{3}}$. The reaction between $KCl$ and $AgN{{O}_{3}}$ is taken place by precipitation reaction and double displacement reaction which can be explained as:
> Precipitation reaction: This reaction can be defined as a chemical reaction that occurs in an aqueous solution where two ionic bonds combine and form an insoluble salt known as precipitates. In the given reaction when $KCl$reacts with $AgN{{O}_{3}}$ it forms white precipitate of silver chloride represented by $AgCl$.
> Double displacement reaction: These are those reactions in which two compounds react with each other and they exchange their ions to form two new compounds and in double displacement reactions the positive ions exchange with the negative ion compounds.
> Reaction when potassium chloride and silver nitrate react to form potassium nitrate and silver chloride can be shown as:
$KCl+AgN{{O}_{3}}\to AgCl+KN{{O}_{3}}$

Hence, we can say that it is a double displacement reaction as both reactants exchange ions to form new products. Also it is a precipitation reaction as white precipitates of silver chloride are formed during the reaction.

Note: Silver chloride is a white crystalline solid which is used as a reference electrode in electrochemistry, it is also used in making photographic film. Whereas potassium nitrates are used as fertilizers, rocket propellants and fireworks.