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What are the products of this reaction?
Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:31 pm
by Tanizaki
I am trying to determine how a paste of baking soda and water can remove silver tarnish. Can anyone please assist with products and balancing? Thank you very much.
Ag2S + NaHC03 ---> Na2S + Ag + _______???
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:52 pm
by Hwguy
the other product is probably CO2 and possibly water but im not too sure
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:54 pm
by Hwguy
the other product is probably CO2 and possibly water but im not too sure. You may be over thinking this too, a thick paste would also have abrasive properties and a little scrubbing may be what removes the tarnish rather than any chemical action
Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:40 pm
by Tanizaki
Hwguy wrote:the other product is probably CO2 and possibly water but im not too sure. You may be over thinking this too, a thick paste would also have abrasive properties and a little scrubbing may be what removes the tarnish rather than any chemical action
I've done it and the cleansing happens even without rubbing. I am confident of the Na
2S product, just need to figure out the others.
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:39 pm
by Xen
Tanizaki wrote:Hwguy wrote:the other product is probably CO2 and possibly water but im not too sure. You may be over thinking this too, a thick paste would also have abrasive properties and a little scrubbing may be what removes the tarnish rather than any chemical action
I've done it and the cleansing happens even without rubbing. I am confident of the Na
2S product, just need to figure out the others.
I would say that Na
2S is not probable because HS- is a very very weak acid, even weaker than HCO
3-:
Na
2S + NaHCO
3 = NaHS + Na
2CO
3
The common way to remove tarnish from a silver object is to put the object on the top of aluminum foil and then add NaHCO
3. In this case the reaction is known:
3 Ag
2S + 9 NaHCO
3 + 2 Al = 3 NaHS + 3 Na
2CO
3 + 2 Al(OH)
3 + 6 Ag + 6 CO
2