If you are studying 'Chemical Reactions and Equations' in CBSE Class 10 Chemistry, you will repeatedly encounter a highly famous double-displacement reaction that produces a thick, milky white solid.
That insoluble white solid is Barium Sulphate. The exact chemical formula for Barium Sulphate is BaSO₄.
Chemical Formula: BaSO₄.
Molar Mass: 233.38 g/mol.
Physical Appearance: A heavy, thick, odorless white crystalline powder.
Solubility: Highly Insoluble in water (It sinks to the bottom).
Key Reaction Type: It is the ultimate classic example of a Double Displacement and Precipitation reaction.
To build the formula, you must look at the valency (charge) of the two massive ions involved:
Because the +2 positive charge of Barium perfectly cancels out the -2 negative charge of Sulphate, they lock together in a simple 1:1 ratio. Therefore, you do not write Ba₂(SO₄)₂; you simplify it to just BaSO₄.
In board exams, this chemical is incredibly famous because it is completely insoluble in water. When you mix clear Barium Chloride liquid with clear Sodium Sulphate liquid, a massive chemical reaction instantly occurs, and thick, milk-like solid flakes of BaSO₄ instantly crash out of the liquid and fall to the bottom of the test tube. This is called a White Precipitate. Reaction: BaCl₂(aq) + Na₂SO₄(aq) → BaSO₄(s)↓ + 2NaCl(aq)
Because Barium Sulphate is a heavy, dense metal compound that cannot dissolve in the human stomach, doctors use it brilliantly in medicine. If a patient has a stomach ulcer, the doctor makes them drink a thick, chalky milkshake of pure BaSO₄. Because the heavy Barium blocks X-Ray lasers, the doctor can take a perfect, glowing X-ray photograph of the inside of the patient's stomach.
The chemical formula of Barium Sulphate is BaSO₄.
Because Barium has a charge of +2 and Sulphate has a charge of -2. Since the charges perfectly cancel each other out in a 1:1 ratio, the numbers are dropped to form the simple formula BaSO₄.
When formed in a chemical reaction, Barium Sulphate always drops out of the solution as a thick, milky White Precipitate.
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