Q55 E - Chemistry (OpenStax)

Question

How can a radioactive nuclide be used to show that the equilibrium: 

\({\text{AgCl(s)}} \rightleftharpoons {\text{A}}{{\text{g}}^{\text{ + }}}{\text{(aq) + C}}{{\text{l}}^{\text{ - }}}{\text{(aq)}}\) is a dynamic equilibrium?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

We can use radioactive \({\rm{A}}{{\rm{g}}^{\rm{ + }}}\) or \({\rm{C}}{{\rm{l}}^{\rm{ - }}}\) to produce a radioactive precipitate, which will show a dynamic equilibrium.

Step 1: Nuclear Chemistry

Nuclear chemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies radioactivity, nuclear processes, and atomic nuclei alterations such as nuclear transmutation and nuclear characteristics.

Step 2: How the equation is a dynamic equilibrium

The reaction we have is:

 \({\text{AgCl(s)}} \rightleftharpoons {\text{A}}{{\text{g}}^{\text{ + }}}{\text{(aq) + C}}{{\text{l}}^{\text{ - }}}{\text{(aq)}}\)

We can make radioactive precipitate by adding radioactive \({\rm{A}}{{\rm{g}}^{\rm{ + }}}\) or radioactive \({\rm{C}}{{\rm{l}}^{\rm{ - }}}\).

The existence of radiation indicates that the equilibrium has been created dynamically.

Therefore, by adding the radioactive \({\rm{A}}{{\rm{g}}^{\rm{ + }}}\) or the radioactive \({\rm{C}}{{\rm{l}}^{\rm{ - }}}\), we can get the radioactive precipitate indicating a dynamic equilibrium.