Which of the following represents the correctly balanced chemical equation for the reaction between BaCl2 and MgSO4?

• A. BaCl2 + MgSO4 → BaMg + ClSO4
• B. BaCl2 + MgSO4 → BaSO4 (s) + MgCl2
• C. BaCl2 + MgSO4 → Ba + Mg + Cl2
• D. BaCl2 + MgSO4 → BaMg + ClSO4 + BaSO4 (s) + MgCl

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the reactants and products involved in the reaction. Here, the reactants are barium chloride (BaCl2) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). The products should be formed by exchanging the ions between these compounds.
2. Recognize that this is a double displacement (metathesis) reaction, where the cations and anions swap partners. So, Ba^{2+} will pair with SO_4^{2-}, and Mg^{2+} will pair with Cl^{-}.
3. Write the possible products by combining the ions correctly: Ba^{2+} with SO_4^{2-} forms BaSO_4, and Mg^{2+} with Cl^{-} forms MgCl_2.
4. Check the solubility rules to determine if any product precipitates out. BaSO_4 is known to be insoluble and will form a solid precipitate, indicated as (s). MgCl_2 remains dissolved in solution.
5. Write the balanced chemical equation by ensuring the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides: \(\text{BaCl}_2 + \text{MgSO}_4 \rightarrow \text{BaSO}_4 (s) + \text{MgCl}_2\).