If solutions of nh4cl(aq) and nh3(aq) are mixed, which ions in the resulting solution are spectator ions in any acid-base chemistry occurring in the solution?

ionsact as spectator ions if solutions of and are mixed.

Further explanation:

Buffer solution offers resistance to any changes in their pH if strong acid or base is added to them. These are usually aqueous solution consisting of weak acid and its conjugate base.

Buffers can be acidic or basic as described below.

Acidic buffer:

These solutions have pH less than 7 and are formed by weak acid and its conjugate base.

Basic buffer:

These solutions have pH more than 7 and are formed by weak base and its conjugate acid.

Spectator ions are those ions that are present in same form on both sides of the chemical reaction. In other words, these ions do not participate in chemical reactions and cannot affect the reaction equilibrium. Since these are not involved in overall chemical reaction, spectator ions are not included while writing net ionic equations for any chemical reaction.

If solutions of and are mixed, it results in the formation of buffer . is a salt of weak acid and its dissociation occurs as follows:

The reaction of given buffer can be written as follows:

Since  ions are not involved in net chemical reaction for buffer solution of and , these ions act as spectator ions.

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Answer details:

Grade: Senior School

Subject: Chemistry

Chapter: Buffer solutions

Keywords: buffer solution, NH4Cl, NH3, NH4+, Cl-, OH-, H2O, buffer, spectator ions.