I have found a balanced redox equation for removal of silver sulfide using sodium hydrogen carbonate in aluminium to say:

2Al + 3Ag2S + 6H2O --> 6Ag + 2Al2(OH)3 + 3H2S

What happens to the Na and C component of the sodium hydrogen carbonate? And why is it not included on LHS of equation?

The Al and Ag2S (with water) is an electrolytic cell but it needs something ionic to conduct the electrons between the Ag^+ of Ag2S and Al metal. NaHCO3 does that job. In fact, ANYTHING ionic will work. But the ionic compound doesn't enter into the reaction, other than the conducting of electrons from one electrode to the other, and it isn't included in the redox equation.

Thank you!!

In the balanced redox equation for the removal of silver sulfide using sodium hydrogen carbonate and aluminum, the sodium (Na) and carbon (C) components of sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) are not explicitly mentioned because they do not directly participate in the redox reaction.

NaHCO3 is a compound composed of sodium (Na), hydrogen (H), carbon (C), and oxygen (O). In the presence of water (H2O), NaHCO3 can dissociate into its ionic components: Na+ and HCO3-. However, in the given equation, these components do not play a role in the overall redox reaction.

The primary focus of the equation is the interaction between aluminum (Al) and silver sulfide (Ag2S) to produce elemental silver (Ag), aluminum hydroxide (Al2(OH)3), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The sodium hydrogen carbonate serves as the source of hydroxide ions (OH-) which help neutralize the acidic environment created by the reaction.

In summary, the Na and C components of sodium hydrogen carbonate are not included on the left-hand side (LHS) of the equation because they do not participate in the redox reaction and do not have a direct effect on the formation or removal of silver sulfide.

In the balanced redox equation you provided for the removal of silver sulfide using sodium hydrogen carbonate and aluminum, the Na and C components of the sodium hydrogen carbonate are not explicitly shown in the equation. However, they are still present in the reaction.

Sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) is an ionic compound that dissolves in water to form sodium ions (Na+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). In the reaction, these ions would be present as spectator ions, meaning they do not participate directly in the redox reactions.

The reason why Na and C components are not included on the left-hand side (LHS) of the equation is because they are not involved in the oxidation-reduction reactions that are occurring. The purpose of the equation you provided is to show the redox reactions involving the silver sulfide (Ag2S) and aluminum (Al). The sodium hydrogen carbonate is likely used as a source of carbonate ions or as a pH adjuster, rather than as a participant in the redox reactions.

It's important to note that in many chemical reactions, especially ones involving complex systems or multiple steps, not all components or ions are explicitly written in the balanced equation. Only the species that are directly involved in the redox reactions are typically shown. The other components may be present, but they are not directly participating in the redox process.