Question

What does the symbol 'aq' represent in a chemical equation?

Answer 1

1. The symbol ‘aq’ indicates the aqueous solution in a chemical reaction.
2. The symbol ‘aq’ arrives from the word aqueous.
3. The aqueous solution implies that the provided substance is dissolved in water as the solvent.

For example: When sodium chloride is dissolved in water. Sodium and chloride ions are present in water.

$\mathrm{NaCl}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)\stackrel{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}}{\rightleftharpoons }{\mathrm{Na}}^{+}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+{\mathrm{Cl}}^{-}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)$

Therefore, the ‘aq’ symbol denotes the aqueous solution in a chemical equation.