Question

You and yor lab partner need to selectively precipitte the cations in a solution that contains a mixture of 0.040 M Ba(NO3)2 and 0.060 Pb(NO3)2. The separation is required to be quantitative, meaning that at least 99.9% of onre cation must be precipitated and removed from the mixture before the second cation begins to precipitate.Your partner suggests that 1.0M solution of Na2SO4 could be used as a precipitating agent to accomplish the separation. You tell your partner that this precipitating agent will not work. However, your lab partner is not convinced that you are correct.

a). Clearly and completely show the calculations and reasoning that can be used to convince your lab partner that you are correct in your conclusion that 1.0M solution of sodium sulphate will not work to quantitatively separate cations in the given solution.

Answer 1

if 1.0M Na2 SO4 is added then simultaneous precipitation of PbSO4 would occur along with BaSO4, sincePbSO4 is slightly soluble in water BaSO4 and PbSO4 could not be separated.