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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 ... 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
Sodium chloride has a high melting point of 801 °C due to the strong ionic bonds between 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. This strong attraction requires a significant amount of energy to overcome, which manifests as a high melting point.
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 dilute nitric acid (HNO₃) followed by a few drops of silver nitrate (AgNO₃). If chloride ions are present, a white precipitate of silver chloride (AgCl) will form, indicating the presence of chloride ions. The reaction can be summarized as:
ightarrow ext{AgCl} (s)$$