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Sodium chloride is a metal chloride which is soluble in cold water - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2013 - Paper 1
Question 5
Sodium chloride is a metal chloride which is soluble in cold water. (i) Give the name of a metal chloride which is insoluble in cold water. Put a cross (X) in the b... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Sodium chloride is a metal chloride which is soluble in cold water - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2013 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
Explain why the melting point of sodium chloride is high.
Answer
The melting point of sodium chloride is high due to the strong ionic bonds between the sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) ions. These ionic bonds result from the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions. The high amount of energy required to overcome these strong attractions leads to a high melting point of 801 °C.
Step 3
Describe how you would test for the presence of chloride ions in a solution of sodium chloride.
Answer
To test for the presence of chloride ions in a sodium chloride solution, you can add a few drops of silver nitrate solution (AgNO₃) to the sample. A white precipitate of silver chloride (AgCl) will form if chloride ions are present. The reaction can be represented by the equation:
ightarrow ext{AgCl}(s)$$ This precipitate is an indicator of the presence of chloride ions.