Question

How come mixing sodium sulfate and sodium chloride doesn’t make them react?

Answer 1

We know that chemical reactions are the changes that result in new products which possess completely different physical and chemical properties than the reactants. For example, the reaction of hydrogen and nitrogen forms ammonia.

Complete step by step answer:
Here, we have to find out the reason why the reaction of sodium sulfate and sodium chloride does not give any product. We know that sodium sulphate $\left( {{\text{N}}{{\text{a}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{S}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{4}}}} \right)$ and sodium chloride (NaCl) both are ionic compounds. That means, in a solution of sodium sulphate, the salt completely dissociates to give sodium and sulphate ions.
${\text{N}}{{\text{a}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{S}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{4}}}\left( {aq} \right) \to 2{\text{N}}{{\text{a}}^ + }\left( {aq} \right) + {\text{S}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{4}}}^{2 - }\left( {aq} \right)$
Similarly, sodium chloride also undergoes complete dissociation to form sodium ions and chloride ions.
${\text{NaCl}}\left( {aq} \right) \to {\text{N}}{{\text{a}}^ + }\left( {aq} \right) + {\text{C}}{{\text{l}}^ - }\left( {aq} \right)$
As both the ionic compounds exist as anion and cation in the solution, the mixing of the two solutions does not result in chemical reactions because all ions will continue to exist as ions in solution.
$2{\text{N}}{{\text{a}}^ + }\left( {aq} \right) + {\text{S}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{4}}}^{2 - }\left( {aq} \right) + {\text{N}}{{\text{a}}^ + }\left( {aq} \right) + {\text{C}}{{\text{l}}^ - }\left( {aq} \right) \to {\text{No}}\,\,{\text{reaction}}$
The above reaction will not undergo a double displacement reaction because any of the two ions does not form any insoluble solid that precipitates out from the reaction.
So, no reaction takes place on reacting sodium sulfate and sodium chloride.

Note: It is to be remembered that there are four types of reactions, combination reaction, decomposition reaction, displacement reaction and double displacement reaction.
1)In a combination reaction, two or more reactants combine to form a product. Example, the reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen produces ammonia.
2)In a decomposition reaction, one reactant decomposes to form two or more products.
${{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}} \to {{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}} + {\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_2}$
3)In a displacement reaction, a less reaction metal got replaced by a more reaction metal from its compound.
${\text{Zn}} + {\text{CuS}}{{\text{O}}_4} \to {\text{ZnS}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{4}}} + {\text{Cu}}$
4)In a double displacement reaction, two ionic compounds undergo a reaction in which two compounds exchange ions.
${\text{HCl}} + {\text{NaOH}} \to {\text{NaCl}} + {{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}}$