Aqueous potassium phosphate reacts with aqueous aluminum chloride to form aqueous potassium chloride and solid aluminum phosphate. Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction. Include physical states.

Al^3 + (aq) + PO4^3 - (aq) → AlPO4 (s)

Explanation:

Step 1: Data given

potassium phosphate = K3PO4

aluminum chloride = AlCl3

potassium chloride = KCl

aluminum phosphate = AlPO4

Step 2: The unbalanced equation

K3PO4 (aq) + AlCl3 (aq) → KCl (aq) + AlPO4 (s)

On the left side we have 3x K (in K3PO4), on the right side we have 1x K (in KCl). To balance the amount of K on both sides, we have to multiply KCl (on the right side) by 3. Now the equation is balanced.

K3PO4 (aq) + AlCl3 (aq) → 3KCl (aq) + AlPO4 (s)

The net ionic equation, for which spectator ions are omitted - remember that spectator ions are those ions located on both sides of the equation - will look like this

Al^3 + (aq) + PO4^3 - (aq) → AlPO4 (s)