Question

What type of reaction is represented by each of the following equation?

${\mathrm{AgNO}}_3+\mathrm{HCl}\to \mathrm{AgCl}+{\mathrm{HNO}}_3$

Answer 1

1. Double displacement reaction

Displacement of two different elements occurs among reactants in order to form products in chemical reactions. Such reactions are called double displacement reactions.

In the given reaction, there is an exchange of Nitrate ions $\left({\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}\right)$ from Silver nitrate $\left({\mathrm{AgNO}}_3\right)$ and Chloride ions $\left({\mathrm{Cl}}^{-}\right)$ from Hydrogen chloride (HCl). This is an example of a double displacement reaction. This is because, in such types of reactions, there is an exchange between the ions of the reactants to form new products, which are Silver chloride (AgCl) and Nitric acid $\left({\mathrm{HNO}}_3\right)$.

2. Example of double displacement reaction

$$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{AgNO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+\mathrm{NaCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to \mathrm{AgCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+{\mathrm{NaNO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right) \\ \mathrm{Silver}\mathrm{nitrate}\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{Silver}\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{nitrate} \\ \mathrm{chloride}\mathrm{chloride} \end{gathered}$$

In this reaction, there is the exchange of ions between Silver nitrate and Sodium chloride in order to form Silver chloride and Sodium nitrate. Thus, the type of reaction is a double displacement reaction.