Question

Distinguish between lead carbonate and zinc carbonate in solution

Answer 1

Add HCl to both the solutions -
PbCO3 + 2HCl --> PbCl2(White precipitate) + H2O + CO2
ZnCO3 +2 HCl --> ZnCl2 + H2O + CO2

Answer 2

Answer: Lead carbonate will form a white precipitate but zinc carbonate will not form a precipitate when hydrochloric acid is added to the solution.

Explanation:

To distinguish between lead carbonate and zinc carbonate, we will add hydrochloric acid to both the solutions. The reaction for these compounds with HCl is given by the equation:

$PbCO_3(s)+2HCl(aq.)\rightarrow PbCl_2(s)+CO_2(g)+H_2O(l)\\\\ZnCO_3(s)+2HCl(aq.)\rightarrow ZnCl_2(aq.)+CO_2(g)+H_2O(l)$

White precipitate of lead chloride will be formed in the lead carbonate solution but no precipitate will be formed when zinc carbonate is reacted with hydrochloric acid.