What is the balanced chemical equation for aluminum and cobalt?That is all the information that the question gives. If you could help me out, I would really, really appreciate it.
That's pretty sparse. Perhaps the question is referring to a single replacement reaction. Aluminum is above cobalt in the activity series, which allows us to predict that aluminum metal will reduce cobalt ions, while aluminum is oxidized. This occurs as long as there is an ion present which will react with the aluminum oxide layer on the surface of aluminum. This passivating Al2O3 layer keeps aluminum metal from reacting. The presence of chloride ions will break down the passivating layer allowing the aluminum metal below to react. Al2O3(s) + 6H+ + 8Cl- -- 2[AlCl4]- + 3H2O(l) 2Al(s) + 3Co2+ -- 2Al3+ + 3Co(s)
