Is it possible to synthesize magnesium nitrate through an aqueous solution of ammonium nitrate and magnesium sulfate? I am attempting to determine whether the sulfate or nitrate radical has a higher electronegativity.
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It is not possible as both salts are soluble in water. In order for a reaction between two salts to occur you would need to have some driving force for it, such as a formation of an insoluble solid or gas evolution which is impossible in this case as both the products are also soluble in water. In fact, if you mix ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate, you would just end up with a solution of the constituent ions, nothing more.
Also, the sulfate and nitrate are ions, not radicals, and electronegativity is a property of atoms.
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$\begingroup$ Well, technically, if you strip these ions of extra electrons, they would become radicals. (Not that it was relevant to the question at hand, anyway.) $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 5, 2016 at 5:42
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$\begingroup$ If you will evaporate the resulting solution you will most likely get a mixture of magnesium nitrate, magnesium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate. So technically it is a method of synthesis of magnesium nitrate, but totally impractical. $\endgroup$– vapidCommented Oct 5, 2016 at 7:20