Precipitate

Key Stage 4

A precipitate of Lead Iodide formed in the reaction between Lead Nitrate and Potassium Iodide.

Meaning

A precipitate is a solid insoluble compound formed by the chemical reaction between two other chemicals in solution.

About Precipitates

The reactants in a precipitation reaction are aqueous or gaseous but at least one of the products is an insoluble solid.

Some common precipitate reactions you may know are:

Lead Nitrate + Potassium Iodide → Potassium Nitrate + Lead Iodide

\(Pb(NO_3)_2(aq) + 2KI(aq) → 2KNO_3(aq) + PbI_2(s)\)

Calcium Oxide + Carbon Dioxide → Calcium Carbonate

\(CaO(aq) + CO_2(g) → CaCO_3(s)\)