Lead(II) chromate, represented by the chemical formula PbCrO4, is a yellow precipitate that forms when potassium chromate and lead(II) nitrate are combined in a precipitation reaction.
Word equation:
potassium chromate + lead(II) nitrate → lead(II) chromate + potassium nitrate
Input interpretation:
which can be represented in chemical formula format as:
K2CrO4 + Pb(NO3)2 → PbCrO4 + 2KNO3
Balanced equation:
To ensure that the equation is balanced, stoichiometric coefficients are added to the reactants and products. By setting the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for Cr, K, O, N, and Pb, the following system of equations is obtained:
Cr: 2c1 = c3
K: 2c1 = 2c4
O: 4c1 + 6c2 = 4c3 + 6c4
N: 2c2 = 2c4
Pb: c2 = c3
To solve the system of equations, an arbitrary value is chosen for one of the coefficients, usually one, and the remaining coefficients are solved algebraically. For example, setting c1 = 1, the coefficients are calculated to be:
c1 = 1
c2 = 1
c3 = 1
c4 = 2
Substituting these coefficients into the chemical formula, the balanced equation for the reaction is obtained:
K2CrO4 + Pb(NO3)2 → PbCrO4 + 2KNO3