Barium Fluoride Formula

Answer: The chemical formula for Barium Fluoride is BaF₂

Barium, abbreviated as ‘Ba,’ is a group 2 element with atomic number 56 in the periodic chart. Barium is a dense alkaline earth metal found in ore deposits and accounts for 0.05 percent of the Earth’s crust. Barium and its derivatives can be found in nature or manufactured for a variety of applications. It is a silvery-white metal that occurs naturally in the environment. It can be found in mixtures with other compounds like carbon, oxygen, and sulfur. It is extremely light, with a density half that of iron.

Fluoride Fluorine compounds with different elements or groups, especially salts of anion F^–, or organic compounds with fluorine attached to an alkyl group. To prevent, tooth decay fluoride is used. It is absorbed by the teeth, strengthens the teeth, resists acids, and helps block the cavitation effect of bacteria. 

Barium Fluoride

The inorganic chemical compound barium fluoride has the molecular formula BaF₂. It is a colorless solid that occurs naturally as the rare mineral frankdicksonite. Furthermore, it has a fluorite structure, and under high pressure, it has a PbCl₂ structure. When placed in water, it is insoluble, just like CaF₂. The BaF₂ corrodes at temperatures above 500 °C due to moisture, however, it can be used at temperatures up to 800 °C in dry settings. For a better understanding, the Barium Fluoride Formula is listed below.

The transmission in the vacuum UV spectrum is degraded by prolonged exposure to moisture. It is, however, less resistant to water than calcium fluoride, but it is the most resistant of all the optical fluorides to high energy radiation, despite its lower far-ultraviolet transmittance. It’s extremely hard, sensitive to temperature shock, and readily fractures.

Structure of Barium Fluoride 

The molecular formula of the compound barium fluoride is BaF₂. It has the following chemical structures available in the form of images and is present in the usual representation we commonly use for organic molecules.

Preparation of Barium Fluoride

In the laboratory it is generally formed  when a positively charged Barium atom reacts with  two negatively charged Fluoride atoms, this can be described as the following decomposition reaction

 Ba⁺ + 2 F^–  ⇢  BaF₂

Physical Properties of Barium Fluoride

• Barium fluoride produces white cubic crystals.  
• The refractive index of this compound is approximately 1.46 in the range of 700 nm to 5 µm.  
• The melting and boiling points of BaF₂ are 1368°C and 2260°C, respectively.  
• Barium fluoride’s density is 4.89 g/cm³ while its molar mass is 175.34 g/mol.  
• It is partly soluble in water. 
•  Its prolonged exposure to moisture can degrade its UV range transmission. 
•  BaF₂ can be corroded by moisture but in a dry environment can be used up to 800^oC.

Chemical Properties of Barium Fluoride

• When one mole of barium fluoride reacts with two moles of aqueous sodium nitrate it forms one mole of nitrobarite and two moles of aqueous sodium fluoride which is a double displacement reaction, it is as follows

BaF₂ + 2NaNO₃ ⇢ Ba(NO₃)₂  + 2NaF

• When 1 mole of barium fluoride reacts with zinc element it forms barium and zinc fluoride which is a displacement reaction, expressed as follows

BaF₂ + 2Zn ⇢ Ba + 2ZnF

• When 1 mole of barium fluoride reacts with Diiodine it forms barium iodide and barium iodide and fluorine, it is a displacement reaction, expressed as follows

 BaF₂  + I₂ ⇢ BaI₂  + 2F

Optical Properties

The optical properties of BAF₂ are: 

• It appears transparent when observed in ultraviolet light with the infrared range from 150 – 200 nm to 11 – 11.5 µm.
• It is a fast and universal scanner used to detect X-rays, gamma rays, or high-energy particles.
• Unlike most illuminants, barium fluoride has the unique property of not emitting ultraviolet light.
• It is also possible to detect high-energy neutrons using pulse shape discrimination.

 Gas-phase structure

In the gas phase, the BaF₂ molecule is non-linear and the F-Ba-F angle is about 108 °. Its non-linearity is an exception to the theory of VSEPR. The first calculation shows that it is due to the contribution from the (D) orbital of the shell below the valence shell. Another suggestion is that the polarization of the electron nucleus of the barium atom causes a nearly tetrahedral distribution of charges that interacts with the Ba-F bond.

Barium Fluoride Uses

• It is also used in the manufacture of enamels. 
• It is used in the manufacture of solder. It is an ingredient in coatings for soldering irons and in solder powders.  
•  It is mainly used in windows for infrared spectroscopy. 
• This is used in the field of fuel oil analysis. 
•  It is also widely used in optical instruments

Sample Problems

Question 1: Is Barium Fluoride soluble in water?  

Solution:

Barium fluoride is a colorless, odorless crystal or white powder, sparingly soluble in an aqueous solution. The solutions in which it is soluble are ethanol and methanol. Its solubility in water is 1.58 g/L (10°C) 1.61 g/L (25°C) while the solubility product is 1.84 × 10⁻⁷.

Question 2: Is Barium Fluoride a salt? 

Solution:

Yes, barium fluoride is a salt. Composed of barium (Ba) and fluorine (F), it gives off a powdery white appearance. Other than that, it looks colorless and transparent.   Mineral Frank Dixonite is a solid element that occurs naturally.

Question 3: Is BaF₂ an ionic or covalent compound? 

Solution:

Barium fluoride is an ionic compound because it is composed of a barium cation with a +2 charge and a fluoride anion with a charge of 1. The molecular formula of this compound is BaF2. It is called an ionic bond because there is no common bond, only the movement of ions.

Question 4: What is the description for Barium Fluoride? 

Solution:

Barium Fluoride is an ionic compound of alkali metals and non-metals. They are insoluble in water. The symbol for barium is Ba, which belongs to Group 1, so the cation charge is +2, but fluorine is a non-metal with a charge of -1. Therefore, when calculating the charge, it becomes   (+2) + (–1) = + 1.   Therefore, the cross method (Ba^{2 +}) (F^–) 2 equilibrates the charge  as (1 × (+2)) + (2 × (-1)) = 0. Therefore, the formula is BaF₂.

Question 5: What are the health effects of Fluoride in drinking water?  

Solution:

Too high levels of fluoride ions in drinking water can cause dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, arthritis, bone damage, osteoporosis, muscle damage, malaise, joint problems, and chronic problems. 

Question 6: Does the human body need Fluoride?

Solution:

Fluoride also plays an important role in the mineralization of bones and teeth. This is an important process in keeping bones and teeth strong and strong. In fact, around 99% of the body’s fluoride is stored in bones and teeth. Fluoride is also important in preventing tooth decay.

Question 7: What Are The Uses Of Barium Fluoride Compounds? 

Solution:

Barium fluoride is used as a melt bath for cleaning in metallurgy. It is also used in welding and in the manufacture of masks. It is also used in optics and windows for infrared spectroscopy and fuel oil analysis.