Precipitate Reactions

As salt water evaporates, sodium and chloride precipitate out of the solution, which creates salt deposits.

Assuming the reactants will automatically become the predicted products is not truly accurate. Chemists look for ways to determine whether a reaction will occur. Some of the most important chemical reactions are ones that occur in the human body. The human body has a high percentage of water, and most of these reactions occur in the presence of water. Outside of the human body, reactions occur in all different types of water, producing chemical precipitates. In this topic, you will investigate reactions that occur in water. You will also determine the products of these reactions.

Essential Question

• Why does a precipitate reaction occur, and how are the products of these reactions predicted?