Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry

College of Arts and Sciences

Visayas State University

Name: Almera P. Padolina

Course & Year: BS Chem 2

Date Performed: July 24, 2012

Date Submitted: August 6, 2012

Experiment No. 4
Solubility Equilibrium- Common Ion Effect
INTRODUCTION:
The common ion effect is another example of Le Chtelier's Principle in action.The common ion
effect tells us that the solubility of an ionic compound is decreased by the addition to the solution of
another ionic compound that contains one of the ions involved in the solution It is also responsible for
the reduction in solubility of an ionic precipitate when a soluble compound combining one of the ions of
the precipitate is added to the solution in equilibrium with the precipitate.
It may be confusing, but an example should help clarify.If we have a barium sulfate solution, the
solid salt is in equilibrium with its ions:

BaSO4 (s)

Ba2+(aq) + SO42-(aq)

If we then add solid barium chloride to this solution, which dissolves to produce Ba2+ and Clions, we are increasing the concentration of Ba2+ ions in our solution. (The new Cl- ions will remain in
solution as spectator ions). Ba2+ is the ion common to both solutions.
Le Chtelier's Principle tells us that if the concentration of one of the reaction participants is
increased, then equilibrium will shift to use up the additional substance.
So adding more Ba2+ will force the equilibrium to shift to the left (the reverse direction) in order
to use up the added Ba2+ ions, producing more solid BaSO4. The concentration of SO42- will decrease,
indicating that solubility has decreased.

In this experiment, the groups will learn the equilibria which concerns more on a saturated
solutions of ammonium chloride, which exists in equilibrium with ammonia, consequently ammonium
ion is a weak acid and ammonia is a weak base.

OBJECTIVE:
To know the effects of adding solutions of strong acid, salts and strong bases to to saturated
solutions of ammonium chloride.

METHODOLOGY:
The group weighed out about 10 g of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) in a 25-mL Erlenmeyer flask
and 20 mL of water was added to it. After the substance became cold, the solution was warmed in a hot
plate. The solid particles that remain were allowed to settle for about 5 minutes while the solution
attained room temperature.
The group took four clean medium test tubes and labeled them as 1, 2, 3 and 4. In which, a
reagent was added in each test tube as follows:

Test tube 1: 1 mL of 3M NaOH solution

Test tube 2: 1 mL of 12 M (concentrated) HCl solution
Test tube 3: 1 mL of 16 M (concentrated) HNO3 solution
Test tube 4: 1 mL of 15 M (concentrated) NH3 solution
Each of the test tube was added about 4 ml of the saturated NH4Cl solution and each of the test
tube was stirred with a clean glass rod. Then results were obtained by the group:

RESULTS:
Measurement of 10 g of NH4Cl:
Tare weight (Erlenmeyer flask)= 37.7 g
Net weight (NH4Cl)

= 10.0 g

Gross weight (flask+ NH4Cl) = 47.7 g

Test tube 1

Any precipitate?

No precipitate

Any odor?

Ammonia-like odor

Test tube 2
Any precipitate?

Formed a great amount of white precipitate

Any odor?

Ammonia-like odor

Test tube 3
Any precipitate?

No precipitate

Any odor?

Ammonia-like odor

Test tube 4
Any precipitate?

No precipitate

Any odor?

Ammonia-like odor

DISCUSSION:
Ammonia nitrogen exists in aqueous solution as either ammonium ion or ammonia, according to
thefollowing equilibrium reaction:
NH4

NH3+H+

Ammonium Chloride (NH4Cl) is a salt of a strong acid (HCl) and a weak base (NH4OH).Hence, in an
aqueous solution, it shows acidic properties. Since Ammonia nitrogen exists in aqueous solution as
either ammonium ion or ammonia, according to the following equilibrium reaction:
NH4

NH3+H+

Since NH4Cl is a weak acid, there is an incomplete ionization which is represented by

(double-

reaction arrow). When mixed with water, it gets hydrolyzed as follows.NH4Cl + H2O ---> NH4OH + HCl.
The salt and the strong acid (HCl) get ionised while the weak base (NH4OH) remains unionized.

On the other hand, a single-reaction arrow can be present in a reaction when there is a complete
dissociation of either a strong base or strong acid. In the equation: NH4+ + Cl- + H2O ---> NH4OH + H+ + Cl-.

Cancelling the Cl- ions from both sides formed NH4+ + H2O ---> NH4OH + H+ where the H+ ions left in the
solution gives the solution its acidic property.

TEST TUBE 1
When 3M of NaOH solution, which is a strong base was added their is a complete
dissociation of NaOH into Na ion and OH ion. Below is the ionic reaction equation between the two
solutions:
(

)
(

(
(

)
)

( )
( )

The OH- ion neutralized the H+ ion present in the saturated NH4Cl solution, neutralization: H +
OH

H2O; decreased the concentration of the reactants and there is no precipitate that forms because

the equilibrium of the reaction shifts to the left. With regards to its odor the solution, it smelled like
ammonia because there is a formation of ammonia in the reaction: NH4Cl + NaOH

NH3 + NaCl + H2O.

TEST TUBE 2
When HCl solution, a source of Cl- ions and a strong acid was added to the test tube it
dissociates completely into H+ and Cl- ion: H+ + Cl-

HCl. Since H+ ion was already present in the solution

of NH4Cl and another H+ ions present from dissociation of HCl. However, both solutions produced H+
ions, there are still more H+ ions produced on the reactants side which made it heavier and directed the
shift of the equilibrium to the right.

TEST TUBE 3
When nitric acid, a strong acid was added to the test tube with NH4Cl, it was completely
dissociated into H+ ion and NO3- ion; H+ (aq) + NO3-(aq)

HNO3 (aq).

The same effect on test tube 2 was observed in the solution where more H+ ions were produced
but there is no precipitate formed because their was no common ion present in the solution between
NH4Cl and HNO3:
H+ (aq) + NO3-(aq)
NH3 (aq) + H+(aq)

HNO3 (aq)
NH4 +(aq)

Since there is no precipitate formed, the equilibrium shifts to the left. In addition, the reaction
also showed a double displacement reaction between NH4Cl and HNO3:
NH4Cl + HNO3

NH4NO3 + HCl

The products of the reaction (NH4NO3 and HCl) are both soluble, the solution formed no
precipitate.

TEST TUBE 4
When a solution of NH3, a weak acid was added to test tube 4, their was a slight dissociation into
NH4 +and OH- ions:
NH4+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

NH3 (aq) + H2O (aq)

The OH- ion neutralized the H+ ion present in the saturated NH4Cl solution: H+ + OHH2O. Since neutralization occurred, the concentration of the reactants side decreased and there is no
formation of precipitate due to backward reaction and the equilibrium shifts to the left.

CONCLUSION
Saturated solution like NH4Cl which is a weak acid, slightly dissociates into NH4+ and H+.
Solutions having no precipitate formed has a backward reaction and the solution shifts its equilibrium to
the left upon addition of weak acid or a strong base. While addition of strong or weak acid, it was
considered that when acid has a chlorine ion in its ionic equation, there is a common ion present in
ammonium chloride and to the acid to be added and this caused the equilibrium to shift to the right but
when there is no chlorine ion present in its ionic equation, the equilibrium shifts to the left because
there is no common ion present. On the other hand, all 4 solutions has a foul odor (ammonia-like odor)
which was produced by dissociation of ammonium chloride into ammonia.

REFERENCE:
Raymond Chang, 7th Ed. General Chemistry
Acabal, A.D., Jansalin, J.G., Loreto, M.T., Quevedo, E., May 5, 2010. Chem 111 Laboratory Manual
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_does_NH4Cl_show_acidic_properties_in_aqueous_solutions
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_reaction_equation_for_NH4Cl_and_NaOH
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common-ion_effect
http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/chem30_05/4_solutions/solution3_5.htm

References: