What is the product of this chemical equation?

Two solutions, Na2CO3 and HCl, that were added together to form a product.

1 Answer
Stefan V.
Aug 9, 2016

Here's what I got.

Explanation:

Depending on the mole ratio used when mixing those two solutions, sodium carbonate, Na2CO3, will react with hydrochloric acid, HCl, to produce

  • aqueous sodium chloride, NaCl, and sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3
  • aqueous sodium chloride and carbonic acid, H2CO3, which decomposes to give water and carbon dioxide, CO2

When the two reactants are mixed in a 1:1 mole ratio, you get

Na2CO3(aq)+HCl(aq)→NaCl(aq)+NaHCO3(aq)

When you have equal numbers of moles of sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, all the moles of sodium carbonate are converted to moles of sodium bicarbonate.

When the two reactants are mixed in a 1:2 mole ratio, you get

Na2CO3(aq)+2HCl(aq)→2NaCl(aq)+H2O(l)+CO2(g)H2CO3(aq)

As the carbonic acid decomposes, you get

Na2CO3(aq)+2HCl(aq)→2NaCl(aq)+H2O(l)+CO2(g)↑⏐

As the reaction proceeds, you should see carbon dioxide bubble out of solution.

The idea here is that once you get past the 1:1 mole ratio for sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, the reaction involves sodium bicarbonate and hydrochloric acid

NaHCO3(aq)+HCl(aq)→2NaCl(aq)+H2O(l)+CO2(g)↑⏐

You can thus say that you have

Na2CO3(aq)+HCl(aq)→NaCl(aq)+NaHCO3(aq)

NaHCO3(aq)+HCl(aq)→NaCl(aq)+H2O(l)+CO2(g)
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Na2CO3(aq)+2HCl(aq)→2NaCl(aq)+H2O(l)+CO2(g)↑⏐

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