Question

Chloroform is a chlorine compound, but it does not give white precipitate with silver nitrate solution. Give reasons.

Answer 1

Hint: Chlorine is covalently bonded to the central atom carbon in trichloromethane (chloroform). Ionic chlorine – containing compounds react with silver nitrate to give white precipitate of silver chloride.

Complete step by step answer:
Chloroform is an organic compound with molecular formula \[CHC{l_3}\]. It is also known as trichloromethane. It is a colourless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid. Chloroform contains three chlorines and one hydrogen covalently bonded to the central atom carbon. It is a powerful anaesthetic when inhaled or ingested. The hybridization of the central atom carbon in chloroform is \[s{p^3}\] and the geometry of chloroform is tetrahedral.
Chloroform does not give white precipitate with silver nitrate solution despite the presence of chlorine in it is because the chlorines in chloroform are covalently bonded to the central atom carbon. The energy required to break the C-Cl bond in chloroform is high and the chlorine can’t ionize without it. Only ionizable chlorines give white precipitate of silver chloride as in case of ionic chlorine compounds e.g. sodium chloride (NaCl).

Additional information:
Some uses of chloroform are:
It is used as an anaesthetic.
It is also used as a reagent as it serves as a source of dichlorocarbene.
It is also used as a solvent.

Note: Remember that only ionizable chlorines (ionic compounds) can show double displacement reactions with ionic salts of silver to form a precipitate. Covalent bonds have some bond energy.