Question

Write a balanced chemical equation between sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid taken in equimolar ratio. Would the final solution have acidic or basic nature?

Answer 1

Chemical equations

Chemical reactions are represented using chemical equations. It gives the identity of all the species of a chemical reaction, including reactants, products, and catalysts. The reaction conditions are also mentioned in a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction is said to be balanced when the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side is equal to that on the product side.

Balanced chemical equations give the relative amount of products and reactants in a reaction.

Balanced equation for the given reaction

Sodium carbonate $\left({\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3\right)$ and hydrochloric acid (HCl) react to form sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium bicarbonate $\left({\mathrm{NaHCO}}_3\right)$. The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:

${\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+\mathrm{HCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to {\mathrm{NaHCO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+\mathrm{NaCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)$

Therefore, one mole of sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid reacts to form one mole of sodium chloride and one mole of sodium bicarbonate, both of which remain in the solution.

pH of the final solution

The final solution remaining after the reaction is complete will contain the products, that is, sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate is slightly basic. Therefore, the final solution will be basic with a pH greater than 7.