Question

In an experiment i had a test tube with Ca(NO3)2 solution in it and I added NaOH and a piece of aluminium.

After carefully heating the solution ammonia gas was formed

Can you help me write the equation for the reaction? I don't know the other products just the ammonia gas

thanks for the help

marysia

Answer 1

Al + NaOH produces H2 gas + Al(OH)4^- which a relatively standard reaction.
Al, however, is a strong reducing agent and with the NO3^- from the Ca(NO3)2, it can reduce the NO3^- to NH3. (I don't think this is a good reaction for preparing NH3--there are better ways of doing it.) The two half equations are
Al ==> Al^+3 + 3e
8e + NO3^- + 6H2O ==>NH3 + 9OH^-
I think both of those half equations are balanced. You need to multiply the top equation by 8 and the lower equation by 3 and add the two together to obtain the full equation.

Answer 2

thx :)