Question

Write a balanced equation for Aluminium + Copper chloride → Aluminium chloride + copper.

Answer 1

Balanced chemical reaction:

• A balanced chemical reaction is a reaction in which the number of atoms in the reactant and the product's side should be an equal number.
• It obeys the law of conservation of mass and momentum.

Reaction:

• When aluminium reacts with copper chloride gives a precipitate of aluminium chloride and copper.

$\mathrm{Al}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{CuCl}}_2\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to {\mathrm{AlCl}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+\mathrm{Cu}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)$

Element	Reactant	Product
$\mathrm{Al}$	$1$	$1$
$\mathrm{Cu}$	$1$	$1$
$\mathrm{Cl}$	$2$	$3$

• The number of atoms of chlorine is not balanced. So it needs to be balanced.
• By balancing the chlorine, the whole equation is balanced.

$2\mathrm{Al}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+3{\mathrm{CuCl}}_2\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to 2{\mathrm{AlCl}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+3\mathrm{Cu}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)$

Element	Reactant	Product
$\mathrm{Al}$	$2$	$2$
$\mathrm{Cu}$	$3$	$3$
$\mathrm{Cl}$	$6$	$6$

• It is a displacement reaction. Because aluminium is more reactive than copper, it displaces copper from a copper chloride solution, according to metal reactivity.