Magnesia (MgO(s)) is used for fire brick, crucibles and furnace linings because of its high melting point. It is produced by decomposing magnesite (MgCO3(s)) into at around 1200oC
Write a balanced equation for the magensite decomposition being sure to include states for the species.
I thought it was:
MgCO3(s) ...> MgO (s) + CO2(g)
but it was marked wrong.
help..thank you.
To write a balanced equation for the decomposition of magnesite (MgCO3), you need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. Here's how you can balance the equation:
First, let's break down the compounds into their constituent elements:
MgCO3(s) → MgO(s) + CO2(g)
MgCO3 contains one magnesium (Mg) atom, one carbon (C) atom, and three oxygen (O) atoms.
MgO contains one magnesium (Mg) atom and one oxygen (O) atom.
CO2 contains one carbon (C) atom and two oxygen (O) atoms.
Now, let's balance the carbon (C) atoms by adding a coefficient in front of CO2:
MgCO3(s) → MgO(s) + 2CO2(g)
By doing this, there are now two carbon (C) atoms on both sides of the equation.
Next, let's balance the oxygen (O) atoms. On the left side, there are three oxygen (O) atoms from MgCO3, and on the right side, there are two oxygen (O) atoms from MgO and four oxygen (O) atoms from CO2. To balance the oxygen atoms, we can add a coefficient in front of MgO:
MgCO3(s) → 2MgO(s) + 2CO2(g)
Now, there are two oxygen (O) atoms on both sides of the equation.
Finally, let's balance the magnesium (Mg) atoms. There is one magnesium (Mg) atom on the left side and two magnesium (Mg) atoms on the right side. To balance the magnesium atoms, we can add a coefficient in front of MgCO3:
2MgCO3(s) → 2MgO(s) + 2CO2(g)
Now, the balanced equation for the decomposition of magnesite into magnesium oxide (MgO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is:
2MgCO3(s) → 2MgO(s) + 2CO2(g)
Make sure to always double-check the final balanced equation to ensure that the number of atoms is equal on both sides.