[KhemDunce]

A quick question that would only request a quick response... My friend and I are having trouble figuring out this lab and some brief explanations would be great.

-   Prepare, by mixing proper quantities of silver nitrate and sodium acetate solutions, approximately 0.3 millimole of silver acetate. Wash this precipitate with a small quantity of distilled water and transfer it to a test tube containing 10 mL of distilled water. Warm the test tube and its contents for 15 minutes, using a water bath held at 40 degrees C (+/-) 5 degrees C, stirring intermittently. Cool the contents to 0 degrees C. Then filter. Divide the filtrate into two approximately equal portions. To one portion add 0.5 mL of 3 M sodium acetate solution; to the other add 0.5 mL of 3 M acetic acid solution. Wait. Why did a precipitate form in one case and not in the other?

Thanks.

[syko sykes]

what's in the test tubes before you add the 2 different solutions. It sounds like you're adding sodium acetate to sodium acetate which, of course, isn't going to react. I'm guessing i read this wrong. Could you please clarify?