Table of contents

This is a precipitation reaction: SrSO4 is the formed precipitate.

Word equation

strontium nitrate + sulfuric acid → strontium sulfate + nitric acid

Input interpretation

Sr(NO3)2 + H2SO4 → SrSO4 + HNO3

 Strontium nitrate sulfuric acid strontium sulfate nitric acid

Balanced equation

Balance the chemical equation algebraically: 

Sr(NO3)2 + H2SO4 → SrSO4 + HNO3

Add stoichiometric coefficients, c, to the reactants and products:

Sr(NO3)2 + H2SO4 → SrSO4 + HNO3

Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for N, O, Sr, H and S:

N: 2c1 = c4

O: 6c + 4c2 = 4c3 + 3c4

Sr: c1 = c3

 H: 2c2 = c4

S: c2 = c3

Since the coefficients are relative quantities and underdetermined, choose a coefficient to set arbitrarily. To keep the coefficients small, the arbitrary value is ordinarily one. For instance, set c1 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients:

c1=1 c2 = 1

c3 = 1 c4=2

Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation:

Answer:

Sr(NO3)2 + H2SO4 → SrSO4 + HNO3