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AP Chemistry Unit 4.7 Types of Chemical Reactions

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AP Chemistry-Concise Summary Notes- All Topics

Common Types of Chemical Reactions

  1. Precipitation Reactions: formation of a solid occurs
  2. Acid-Base Reactions: involves a transfer of H+ ions
  3. Oxidation-Reduction Reactions: involves electron transfer & changes in oxidation states

 Precipitation Reactions

  • Precipitation reaction: two aqueous solutions are mixed/reacted to create an insoluble product
    • Precipitate: Solid product
  • Remember: In virtually every case, when an ionic solid is dissolved in water, the ions separate
    • Take the cation from one reactant and combine it with the anion of the other reactant

Solubility Rules (for AP exam memorize first 2)

  • Allow us to predict whether a product forms as a solid.
    • (slightly soluble = not)
  1. Nitrate (NO3-) and acetate (C2H3O2) salts are soluble
  2. Alkali (group 1A) salts and NH4+ are soluble
  3. Most chloride, bromide, and iodide salts are soluble. Notable exceptions are salts containing the ions Ag+, Pb2+, and Hg22+.
  4. Most sulfate salts are soluble. Notable exceptions are BaSO4, PbSO4, Hg2SO4, and CaSO4.
  5. Most hydroxides are only slightly soluble. The important soluble hydroxides are NaOH and KOH. The compounds Ba(OH)2, Sr(OH)2, and Ca(OH)2 are marginally soluble.
  6. Most sulfide (S2-), carbonate (CO32-), chromate (CrO42-), and phosphate (PO43-) salts are only slightly soluble, excepts for those containing the cations in Rule 2.
  7. Strong acids = soluble (HCl, HBr, HI, HNO₃, HClO₄, H₂SO₄)
  • When given salts with conflicting info, higher number rules are more important (ex: NaS is soluble)
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