When aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) is mixed with aqueous potassium nitrate (KNO3), no visible reaction occurs. This is because both compounds are soluble in water and exist as ions in the solution. The ions present are sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl–), potassium (K+), and nitrate (NO3–). When mixed, these ions are simply surrounded by water molecules and do not combine to form new products.
In terms of observations, you will notice that the solution remains clear and colorless, as there are no precipitates or gases formed during the mixing of these two solutions.
In this case, the relevant balanced equation would be:
NaCl(aq) + KNO3(aq) → Na+(aq) + Cl–(aq) + K+(aq) + NO3–(aq)
Since all the ions remain in solution without forming any new compounds, this is categorized as a double displacement reaction that does not lead to any change. Therefore, no products are formed in the sense of new compounds or precipitates.