Water Softening via Precipitation by PASCO

Water softening involves using substances that cause dissolved minerals to form insoluble precipitates. Many rural water treatment facilities add hydroxide and carbonate ions to the water supply, which react with magnesium and calcium ions to create these precipitates. For instance, magnesium ions react with carbonate ions in a holding tank, forming a magnesium carbonate precipitate that settles and can be easily filtered out. Hard water can also cause calcium carbonate to precipitate in plumbing, forming scale that can be removed with a dilute acid. When copper(II) nitrate is combined with potassium chloride, a double replacement reaction occurs, producing copper chloride and potassium nitrate.

• Elimination of Dissolved Salts: The process of removing dissolved minerals from water
• Gas Production: Chemical reactions that result in the formation of gases
• Plumbing Impact: Hard water can damage pipes by causing calcium carbonate to precipitate and build up