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7: Reactions in Aqueous Solution

  • Page ID
    453184
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    A solution is a homogeneous mixture in which substances present in lesser amounts, called solutes, are dispersed uniformly throughout the substance in the greater amount, the solvent. An aqueous solution is a solution in which the solvent is water, whereas in a nonaqueous solution, the solvent is a substance other than water. Familiar examples of nonaqueous solvents are ethyl acetate, used in nail polish removers, and turpentine, used to clean paint brushes. In this chapter, we focus on reactions that occur in aqueous solution.

    • 7.0: Introduction
      Quantitative aspects of the composition of substances (such as the calcium-containing compound) and mixtures (such as the pool water) are the subject of this chapter.
    • 7.1: General Properties of Aqueous Solutions
      Aqueous solutions can be classified as polar or nonpolar depending on how well they conduct electricity. Most chemical reactions are carried out in solutions, which are homogeneous mixtures of two or more substances. In a solution, a solute (the substance present in the lesser amount) is dispersed in a solvent (the substance present in the greater amount). Aqueous solutions contain water as the solvent, whereas nonaqueous solutions have solvents other than water.
    • 7.2: Precipitation Reactions
      A complete ionic equation consists of the net ionic equation and spectator ions. Predicting the solubility of ionic compounds gives insight into feasibility of reactions occuring. The chemical equation for a reaction in solution can be written in three ways. The overall chemical equation shows all the substances in their undissociated forms; the complete ionic equation shows substances in the form in which they actually exist in solution; and the net ionic equation omits all spectator ions.
    • 7.3: Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
      Oxidation–reduction reactions are balanced by separating the overall chemical equation into an oxidation equation and a reduction equation. In oxidation–reduction reactions, electrons are transferred from one substance or atom to another. We can balance oxidation–reduction reactions in solution using the oxidation state method, in which the overall reaction is separated into an oxidation equation and a reduction equation. The outcome of these reactions can be predicted using the activity series.
    • 7.4: Concentration of Solutions
      Solutions are homogeneous mixtures. Many solutions contain one component, called the solvent, in which other components, called solutes, are dissolved. An aqueous solution is one for which the solvent is water. The concentration of a solution is a measure of the relative amount of solute in a given amount of solution. Concentrations may be measured using various units, with one very useful unit being molarity, defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.
    • 7.5: Stoichiometry of Reactions in Solution
    • 7.6: Summary
    • 7.7: Exercises
      These are homework exercises to accompany the Textmap created for "Chemistry" by OpenStax.


    This page titled 7: Reactions in Aqueous Solution is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lisa Sharpe Elles.

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