12.6 How can we use ions in solutions?

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Ionic compounds have many uses and can provide other substances. Electrolysis is used to produce alkalis and elements such as chlorine and hydrogen. Oxidation-reduction reactions do not just involve oxygen. Soluble salts can be made from acids and insoluble salts can be made solutions of ions.

Metal ions
Metal compounds in a solution contain metal ions. For example, consider calcium chloride: Calcium is in group 2 and has two electrons in its outer shell, so it will form a Ca2+ ion.

Chlorine is in group 7 so a chloride ion will be Cl-

Calcium chloride has the formula CaCl2

Sodium atom Electron transfer

Chlorine atom

Click Again

Sodium Chloride

Positive and negative ions attract

If you melt or dissolve an ionic compound (such as NaCl or CuCl2), then the ions become free to move around and carry electrical current.
Molecule of solid copper chloride CuCl2 (s)

Electrolysis

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Molecule of solid copper chloride after being dissolved chloride ion Copper ion CuCl2 (aq)

Electrolysis

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Electrolysis is used to separate a metal from its compound.

When we electrolysed copper chloride the _____ chloride ions moved to the ______ electrode and the ______ copper ions moved to the ______ electrode OPPOSITES ATTRACT!!!

= chloride ion

= copper ion

Purifying Copper

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Impure copper Solution containing copper ions At the anode: Cu(s)

+ + Cu + Cu + Cu

2+

---

Pure copper

2+

2+

At the cathode: Cu2+(aq) + 2eCu(s)

Cu2+(aq) + 2e-

Electrolysis equations

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We need to be able to write half equations to show what happens during electrolysis (e.g. for copper chloride): At the negative electrode the positive ions GAIN electrons to become neutral copper ATOMS. The half equation is: Cu2+ + 2 eCu

At the positive electrode the negative ions LOSE electrons to become neutral chlorine MOLECULES. The half equation is: 2 Cl- - 2eCl2

Oxidation and Reduction in Electrolysis

At the positive electrode the negative ions LOSE electrons This is called Oxidation. The half equation is:

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At the negative electrode the positive ions GAIN electrons this is called Reduction. The half equation is: Cu2+ + 2eCu

2Cl- - 2e-

Cl2

Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain

O I L R I G

(of electrons)

Electrolysis of brine
Sodium chloride (salt) is made of an alkali metal and a halogen. When its dissolved we call the solution brine, and we can electrolyse it to produce 3 things
Chlorine gas (Cl2) used to kill bacteria and to make acids, bleach and plastics Sodium chloride (brine) NaCl(aq)

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Hydrogen gas (H2) used to manufacture ammonia and margarine

Positive electrode

Negative electrode

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH(aq)). Used to make soap, paper and ceramics

1. When an ionic substance is melted or dissolved in water, the _____ are free to _______ about in the solution. 2. Passing an ________ __________through these _________ or dissolved ionic substances, breaks them down into __________. This is called ___________. 3. During electrolysis, ___________ charged ions move towards the negative electrode and ___________ charged ions move towards the positive ___________.
Move molten elements electrode ions positively negatively electric current electrolysis

Electrolysis - summary

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Method 1

There are 3 types of reaction that can be used to make soluble salts. All 3 involve: An Acid A metal or metal compound
METAL + ACID SALT + HYDROGEN

Making Soluble Salts

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e.g. magnesium + hydrochloric acid

Method 2 METAL OXIDE + ACID

magnesium chloride + hydrogen

SALT + WATER

Method 3
METAL HYDROXIDE (Alkali) + ACID SALT + WATER

To form the name of a salt, you just combine the name of the metal involved, with the salt type associated with the acid. Complete the table as practice Hydrochloric acid Sodium hydroxide Potassium oxide Calcium
Sodium chloride + water Potassium sulfate + water Calcium nitrate + water

Making salts

Hydrochloric acid makes chlorides, Sulfuric makes sulfates, Nitric makes nitrates.

Sulphuric acid

Nitric acid

Reactions of metals with acids

When a metal reacts with an acid it gives off hydrogen (which can be popped using a lit splint). The other product is a salt. METAL + ACID
e.g. magnesium + hydrochloric acid

SALT + HYDROGEN
magnesium chloride + hydrogen

Copy and complete the following reactions: 1) Calcium + hydrochloric acid

2) Zinc + hydrochloric acid

3) Iron + hydrochloric acid 4) Lithium + sulphuric acid

Quiz on acids and alkalis

Acid, alkali or both???
1) This a pH of less than 7 2) This could kill cells 3) A metal hydroxide (e.g. sodium hydroxide) would be an _____ 4) When this reacts with a metal hydrogen is released

5) A metal carbonate (e.g. calcium carbonate) would be an _____

6) This would feel soapy on your skin 7) This could be a corrosive

8) This will turn universal indicator purple

9) This would taste sour 10) This means a base that can be dissolved

Neutralisation reactions
When acids and alkalis react together they will NEUTRALISE each other. Neutralisation is an example of a displacement reaction:
Sodium hydroxide Hydrochloric acid

Na

OH The sodium DISPLACES the hydrogen from HCl

Cl

Na

Cl

H2O
Water

Sodium chloride

+ H ions make acids acidic. OH ions make alkalis alkaline. The pH scale measures the alkalinity or acidity of a solution.

+ ions and OH - ions H

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During neutralisation reactions the H ions react with the OH ions to form H2O (water).
H+ (aq) + OH-(aq) H2O(l)

Neutralisation experiment
Sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid sodium chloride + water
A ____ was formed during the reaction, and we could have separated this by __________ the solution, allowing the salt to Crystallise. The salt that we formed depended on the acid:

Hydrochloric acid will make a CHLORIDE

Nitric acid will make a _________ Sulphuric acid will make a _________

Words to use nitrate, neutralised, alkali, sulphate, salt, evaporating

A metal oxide is a compound containing a metal and oxide. They are sometimes called BASES. A BASE is simply an insoluble alkali it neutralises acids, but does not dissolve in water. For example:
Mg

Reactions of metal oxides with acid

O
Na

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Al
Na

O Al

Magnesium oxide
METAL OXIDE
H Mg

Sodium oxide
+
Cl Cl Cl Mg Cl

Aluminium oxide
SALT + WATER

ACID

O
H

O H

Copy and complete the following reactions: 1) 2) 3) Magnesium oxide + hydrochloric acid Calcium oxide + hydrochloric acid Sodium oxide + sulphuric acid

Using Bases to Make Salts

Because Bases are insoluble the procedure for making a salt is very slightly different

Instead of simply evaporating off the water, you have to first remove any remaining (or excess) Base by filtration.

1) Drop the base into the acid

2) Filter it to remove any leftover base

3) Evaporate it to get the salt

Ammonium Salts

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Ammonia (NH3) is a gas that dissolves in water to make an alkali (Ammonium hydroxide). This can then be used to make Ammonium salts by reacting it with an acid.
Ammonia NH3(g) + + Nitric acid HNO3(aq) Ammonium Nitrate NH4NO3(aq)

Notice how NO water is made in this neutralisation reaction.

Ammonium salts make good fertilisers because plants need nitrogen to make proteins (to grow). Ammonium Nitrate is the best for this purpose can you see why??

Making Insoluble Salts

Doesnt usually require an acid.

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Insoluble salts can be made by mixing appropriate solutions of ions (soluble salts), so that a precipitate is formed.
Barium chloride + Sodium sulfate
BaCl2(aq) + Na2SO4(aq)

Barium sulfate + Sodium chloride

BaSO4(s) + 2NaCl(aq)

Precipitation can be used to remove unwanted ions from solutions, for example in treating water for drinking or in treating effluent. The filter is covered in ions, which form precipitates with ions in the water.

An example question on reactivity Which metal is most reactive?

Metal
A B C

Reaction with dilute acid

Some reaction No reaction No reaction

Reaction with water

Slow reaction No reaction No reaction

Reaction with oxygen

Burns brightly Reacts slowly No reaction

D
E

Violent reaction
Reasonable reaction

Slow reaction
Reacts with steam only

Burns brightly
Reacts slowly