Aqueous solutions of iron(III) sulfate and barium hydroxide are combined. Does a precipitate form? If yes, write a net ionic equation for the precipitation reaction.

First, we need to know the chemical formulas of the reactants and products. Iron(III) sulfate has a chemical formula of Fe2(SO4)3 and barium hydroxide has a chemical formula of Ba(OH)2. The reaction between these two aqueous reactants is a double displacement reaction, in which the cations (positive ions) and anions (negative ions) are swapped, resulting in the formation of new products The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is: \(2 Fe2(SO4)3(aq) + 6 Ba(OH)2(aq) \rightarrow 4 Fe(OH)3(s) + 3 Ba2(SO4)3(aq) \).

To determine if any of the products are insoluble, we need to consult the solubility rules for ionic compounds. According to solubility rules, sulfates (SO4^2-) are generally soluble, with the exception of those containing Pb^2+, Ba^2+, Hg2^2+, and Sr^2+. In our reaction, barium sulfate (Ba2(SO4)3) is a product, which contains the Ba^2+ ion. Thus, barium sulfate is insoluble in water and will form a precipitate. Likewise, hydroxides (OH^-) are generally insoluble, except for those containing alkali metals (Group 1) and heavy alkaline earth metals (Ca^2+, Sr^2+, and Ba^2+). In our reaction, iron(III) hydroxide (Fe(OH)3) is a product. Since it does not contain an alkali metal or heavy alkaline earth metal, iron(III) hydroxide is also insoluble in water and will form a precipitate.

To write the net ionic equation, we will first dissociate all the soluble ionic compounds into their respective ions: Fe2(SO4)3(aq) -> 2 Fe^3+(aq) + 3 SO4^2-(aq) Ba(OH)2(aq) -> Ba^2+(aq) + 2 OH^-(aq) Then, we can rewrite the balanced chemical equation in terms of the dissociated ions: \(2 Fe^3+(aq) + 6 OH^-(aq) \rightarrow 4 Fe(OH)3 (s) \) This is the net ionic equation for the precipitation reaction between iron(III) sulfate and barium hydroxide, which shows that both iron(III) hydroxide and barium sulfate precipitates will form when these two aqueous solutions are combined.