How Do You Balance Pb(NO3)2(aq) + HCl(aq)?
Balance the equation with one mole of lead nitrate, or Pb(NO3)2, with two moles of hydrochloric acid, or HCl, to produce one mole of lead chloride, or PbCl2, with two moles of nitric acid, or HNO3. This entire reaction takes place in an aqueous solution of water.
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Break down the equation into all its parts
Start by reducing molecules into their ionic parts, as all of these substances form ions in water. Lead, or Pb, has a plus-two charge. Two moles of nitrate, or NO3, have a negative one charge. Two moles of hydrogen, or H, have a plus one charge. Two moles of chloride, or Cl, have a negative one charge.
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Cancel out ions that do not participate
Two ions do not participate in the reaction, so cancel them out of the overall equation. Hydrogen and nitrate remain in their ionic states from the reactants to the products. That leaves one mole of lead and two moles of chloride to react together in your equation.
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Balance the products
Take two moles of chloride and combine them with one mole of lead ions. The result is lead chloride, a white powder that slowly precipitates out of the solution. The entire balanced equation, with the hydrogen and nitrate ions, is Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + 2 HCl (aq) —-> PbCl2 (s) + 2 HNO3 (aq).
