13 Facts on HCl + Ag2O: What, How To Balance & FAQs

Ag2O is the chemical formula for silver oxide. Let us look at how to balance the chemical reaction between HCl and Ag2O further down.

HCl is an aqueous solution of the acidic gas hydrogen chloride. The chemical compound with the formula Ag2O is silver oxide. It is a fine black or dark brown powder to prepare other silver compounds. It is used as a mild oxidizer. It is a colorless solution with a powerful pungent smell.

This article describes how to balance the reaction of HCl and Ag2O, the product formed from the reaction, the reaction enthalpy, the type of reaction, the buffer solution, and many other facts about HCl + Ag2O reaction.

What is the product of HCl and Ag2O?

When HCl and Ag2O react, silver chloride (AgCl) and water molecules (H2O) are formed. The reaction equation is as follows:

Ag2O + 2 HCl → 2 AgCl + H2O

What type of reaction is HCl + Ag2O?

The HCl + Ag2O reaction is a double displacement reaction. With the formation of water molecules, the hydrogen ion in hydrochloric acid is displaced by the silver metal ion, and the formation of silver chloride salt occurs.

Ag2O + 2HCl → 2AgCl + H2O

 How to balance HCl + Ag2O?

The steps for equating the above reaction scheme are as follows:

  • Step 1: Keeping stoichiometry in mind, multiply AgCl by two to equal the Ag2O on the reactant side.
    Ag2O +  HCl →  AgCl + H2O
  • Step 2: Multiply H2O by two because the product side has two hydrogen atoms.
    Ag2O +  HCl →  2AgCl + H2O
  • Now, the reactant side and product side are equal. i.e., there are two hydrogens, two silver, two chlorine, and one oxygen atom on both sides.
    Ag2O +  2HCl →  2AgCl + H2O

HCl + Ag2O conjugate pairs

The conjugate base of HCl is Cl and of H2O is OH. Silver does not react with HCl. As a result, dilute HCl should be used for the reaction.

AG2O WITH LOGO
Silver oxide

HCl and Ag2O intermolecular forces

The intermolecular forces between HCl and Ag2O is dipole-dipole interactions and London dispersion. Dipole-dipole interactions are the strongest of the two.

HCl + Ag2O reaction enthalpy

In HCl + Ag2O,

  • Enthalpy of the Formation of Ag2O is -31 kJ/mol
  • Enthalpy of Formation of HCl is -92.3 kJ/mol
  • Enthalpy of Formation of H20 is  -285.8 kJ/mol

Is HCl + Ag2O a buffer solution?

HCl + Ag2O is not a buffer solution because, for a buffer solution, when a proton is added to a base, a conjugate acid must form, and when a proton is removed from an acid, a conjugate base must form. There is no such reaction here.

Is HCl + Ag2O a complete reaction?

HCl + Ag2O is a complete reaction because a precipitate is formed. AgCl precipitates here.

Is HCl + Ag2O an exothermic or endothermic reaction?

HCl + Ag2O is an exothermic reaction because HCl is a strong acid. It will dissociate into hydrogen and chloride ions upon dilution in water, resulting in an exothermic reaction.

Is HCl+ Ag2O a redox reaction?

The HCl + Ag2O reaction is not a redox reaction because no electron transfer occurs during the reaction. Because there is no electron transfer, the oxidation state of all reacting species such as Ag, H, Cl, C, and O does not change from the reactant side to the product side.

Is HCl + Ag2O a precipitation reaction?

The reaction of HCl + Ag2O is a precipitation reaction because the product is a white precipitate of AgCl. When HCl is poured into a solution containing silver ions, positively charged silver ions combine with negatively charged chloride ions. A dirty white precipitate of silver chloride forms.

Is HCl + Ag2O reversible or irreversible reaction?

The reaction of HCl + Ag2O is irreversible. This is an example of a precipitation reaction that is irreversible because the precipitate that forms in the product cannot be converted back to the solution.

Is HCl + Ag2O displacement reaction?

The reaction of HCl+ Ag2O is a double displacement reaction. Metal and acid displacement reactions are only possible under certain conditions.

Conclusion

The reaction of HCl and Ag2O results in the formation of AgCl as a precipitate. Silver dust, argentous oxide, and silver monoxide are other names for Ag2O. It has a molecular mass of 231.7 g/mol.