Question

How would you balance $NaHC{{O}_{3}}+HCl\to C{{O}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}}O+NaCl$?

Answer 1

Hint: The answer is based on the basic chemistry which says that the number of moles of each atom in the reactant side should equal to that in the product side and this gives the required balanced equation.

Complete step – by – step answer:
From the previous chapters of general chemistry, we have studied the concept of balancing the given chemical equation and also about how to interpret it in the form of the balanced equation.
We shall now see the balancing of the given chemical equation by knowing the concept in detail.
- A chemical equation is the interpretation of the equation in which two or species reacts together to form a new or modified compound/s.
- The species which react with each other are called reactants and the compounds which are newly formed are called as the products.
- The reactants are written on the left hand side of the reaction and products on the right hand side of the equation which is separated by an arrow which represents that the reaction is going from right side to left side.
- Balancing of this chemical equation is nothing but making the number of moles of each atom on the reactant side to be equal to that of the number of moles in the product side.
- In the above given question, let us see through both the sides of the equation and guess the molecules to be added in the product as well as on the reactant side.
In the equation $NaHC{{O}_{3}}+HCl\to C{{O}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}}O+NaCl$, to balance accordingly, we have to prior count the total number of moles present in the equation.
Here on the reactant side there is one sodium atom, one hydrogen, one carbon and three oxygen which react with one mole of hydrochloric acid where the hydrogen and chlorine are also 1. Here the total number of hydrogen atoms is 2.
On the product side if we count there is one sodium, one chlorine, two hydrogen and one oxygen that form water, one carbon and two oxygen forming carbon dioxide. Total oxygen atoms are therefore 3.
Thus, the given equation is a balanced equation.

Note: Note that balancing of a chemical equation of the aqueous solution can be represented more realistically by the complete ionic equations and more efficiently by the net ionic equations.