Question

Identify the product obtained and balance the following reaction.

${\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3+\mathrm{HCl}\to$

Answer 1

Neutralization reaction.

When an acid react with base, a salt and water is formed. This process is called neutralisation reaction.

• When Sodium carbonate react with Hydrogen chloride, Sodium chloride, carbon dioxide and water are formed. This is an example of neutralisation reaction.

Following steps are used to balance the chemical equation.

i) Write the skeletal equation

${\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3+\mathrm{HCl}\to \mathrm{NaCl}+{\mathrm{CO}}_2+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$

ii) Listing out number of atoms of various elements.

${\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3+\mathrm{HCl}\to \mathrm{NaCl}+{\mathrm{CO}}_2+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$

Atom	L.H.S	R.H.S
Na	2	1
C	1	1
O	3	3
Cl	1	1
H	1	2

Balancing based on maximum number of atoms

iii) Balancing of sodium

${\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3+\mathrm{HCl}\to 2\mathrm{NaCl}+{\mathrm{CO}}_2+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$

iii) Balancing of Hydrogen

${\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3+2\mathrm{HCl}\to 2\mathrm{NaCl}+{\mathrm{CO}}_2+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$

Number of atoms on the left hand side is equal to number of atoms on the right hand side.

So the equation is balanced.

iii) Write the physical state and reaction condition.

${\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+2\mathrm{HCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\stackrel{∆}{\to }2\mathrm{NaCl}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)$