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.
The balanced equation for the decomposition of magnesite (MgCO3(s)) is:
MgCO3(s) → MgO(s) + CO2(g)
So your original answer was correct. The magnesium carbonate decomposes to magnesium oxide and carbon dioxide when heated. Make sure to clarify that MgO is the solid form and CO2 is the gas form.
To write a balanced equation for the decomposition of magnesite (MgCO3(s)) into magnesia (MgO(s)) and carbon dioxide (CO2(g)), we need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
The correct balanced equation is:
MgCO3(s) -> MgO(s) + CO2(g)
Let's go through the process of balancing the equation to see why it is correct.
1. Start by counting the number of atoms for each element in the reactant and product compounds.
Reactant:
- Magnesium (Mg): 1 atom
- Carbon (C): 1 atom
- Oxygen (O): 3 atoms
Product:
- Magnesium (Mg): 1 atom
- Carbon (C): 1 atom
- Oxygen (O): 3 atoms
2. Balance the equation by adjusting the coefficients to make the number of atoms equal on both sides.
Since there is only one of each element in both reactants and products, the equation is already balanced.
Therefore, the correct balanced equation is:
MgCO3(s) -> MgO(s) + CO2(g)
If your answer was marked wrong, there might be another reason for that. Double-check the instructions and requirements provided to ensure that you have followed them correctly.