What Salt Is Produced When Copper Oxide Reacts With Hydrochloric Acid?

Target Audience: General

When copper oxide reacts with hydrochloric acid, the result is a salt and water. This reaction is a type of redox reaction, where electrons are transferred from one reactant to another. The resulting salt is copper chloride, a pale blue-green solid with a chemical formula of CuCl2. In this article, we will discuss the reaction process and the resulting salt.

Reaction Process

When copper oxide reacts with hydrochloric acid, it forms copper chloride and water. The copper oxide (CuO) is oxidized by the acid, releasing oxygen (O2) and forming copper (II) ions (Cu2+). The hydrochloric acid (HCl) is reduced, releasing hydrogen (H2) and forming chloride ions (Cl-). The copper (II) ions and chloride ions then combine to form copper chloride (CuCl2).

Resulting Salt

The resulting salt is copper chloride, a pale blue-green solid with a chemical formula of CuCl2. Copper chloride is an ionic compound, meaning it is composed of positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions). In this case, the cations are copper (II) ions and the anions are chloride ions. Copper chloride is highly soluble in water and can be used in a variety of industrial applications, such as in the production of inks and pigments.

When copper oxide reacts with hydrochloric acid, the result is a salt and water. The resulting salt is copper chloride, an ionic compound with a chemical formula of CuCl2. Copper chloride is highly soluble in water and can be used in a variety of industrial applications.