Which of the following lists all the ions present in the reactants when calcium chloride and sodium phosphate are dissolved in water?

• A. Ca^{2+}, Na^+, Cl^-, SO_4^{2-}
• B. Ca^{2+}, Cl^-, Na^+, PO_4^{3-}
• C. Ca^{2+}, Cl^-, Na^+, NO_3^-
• D. Ca^{2+}, Cl^-, Na^+, CO_3^{2-}

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the compounds given: calcium chloride (CaCl_2) and sodium phosphate (Na_3PO_4).
2. Recall that when ionic compounds dissolve in water, they dissociate into their constituent ions.
3. Write the dissociation equations for each compound: \\ \(CaCl_2 \rightarrow Ca^{2+} + 2Cl^-\) and \(Na_3PO_4 \rightarrow 3Na^+ + PO_4^{3-}\).
4. List all ions present in the solution by combining the ions from both dissociations: \(Ca^{2+}\), \(Cl^-\), \(Na^+\), and \(PO_4^{3-}\).
5. Compare this list to the options given to identify the correct set of ions present in the reactants.