Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction of aqueous potassium hydroxide with aqueous iron(III) chloride to form solid iron(III) hydroxide and aqueous potassium chloride.

Stoichiometry is the section of chemistry that pertains to the calculation of the quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions. It is a foundational concept when it comes to understanding chemical reactions and creating balanced chemical equations. The stoichiometric coefficients — the numbers placed before compounds in a chemical equation — indicate the ratios in which the substances react or are produced.

In the given exercise, stoichiometry is important because it helps determine the exact amount of potassium hydroxide needed to react with iron(III) chloride, and the amounts of iron(III) hydroxide and potassium chloride that will be produced. Incorrect stoichiometric coefficients would yield an imbalanced equation, which misrepresents the conservation of mass in the reaction.

Chemical reactions are processes where reactants are transformed into products through the breaking and formation of chemical bonds. They are represented by chemical equations that show the substances involved on either side of an arrow, with reactants on the left and products on the right.

The reaction in the exercise is a double displacement reaction, where elements from the reacting compounds — aqueous potassium hydroxide and aqueous iron(III) chloride — exchange ions to form a solid precipitate, iron(III) hydroxide, and an aqueous solution of potassium chloride. Understanding the type of reaction is crucial for predicting the products and balancing the chemical equation.

Balancing chemical equations is a vital process that ensures the law of conservation of mass is respected. It implies that atoms are neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction, so the same number of each type of atom must appear on both sides of the equation.

In our example, the step-by-step solution correctly demonstrates this process. Starting with an unbalanced equation, one must iteratively adjust the stoichiometric coefficients for each reactant and product until all atoms are balanced. An unbalanced equation may suggest that atoms have appeared or disappeared, which is not possible according to scientific laws. Therefore, students must learn to balance equations to correctly describe the quantities and substances involved.

Aqueous reactions are chemical reactions that occur in water, with one or more reactants being in the aqueous state, signified by the notation (aq). Water's role as a solvent and its participation in hydrolysis and dissolution make these reactions common in chemistry.

In the exercise, the reaction involves aqueous reactants forming a solid precipitate and an aqueous product. Understanding aqueous reactions is essential since they often involve ionic compounds that dissociate into ions in solution. The ability of the solvent water to stabilize ions is key to predicting whether a reaction will proceed and what products will form. For instance, the precipitation of iron(III) hydroxide from the reactant ions in this exercise is a typical outcome of such aqueous reactions.