complete and balance NaHCO3 (aq) + H2SO4 (aq)
To complete and balance the chemical equation NaHCO3 (aq) + H2SO4 (aq), you need to follow a few simple steps:
Step 1: Write the unbalanced equation.
NaHCO3 (aq) + H2SO4 (aq) →
Step 2: Identify the elements present in the equation.
In this equation, we have sodium (Na), hydrogen (H), carbon (C), oxygen (O), and sulfur (S).
Step 3: Balance the equation for each element.
We usually balance the equation by adjusting the coefficients (numbers) in front of each compound or element.
Starting with sodium (Na) on the left side, we have one sodium atom, so we put a coefficient of 1 in front of NaHCO3:
1NaHCO3 (aq) + H2SO4 (aq) →
Next, we consider hydrogen (H). There are two hydrogen atoms on the right side of the equation due to H2SO4. To balance that, we put a coefficient of 2 in front of HCl:
1NaHCO3 (aq) + 2H2SO4 (aq) →
Now, let's balance carbon (C). There is only one carbon atom on the left side due to NaHCO3. We keep the coefficient as 1:
1NaHCO3 (aq) + 2H2SO4 (aq) →
Lastly, let's balance oxygen (O). On the left side, there are three oxygen atoms (from NaHCO3). On the right side, there are four oxygen atoms (two from each H2SO4). To make it balanced, we put a coefficient of 2 in front of NaHCO3:
2NaHCO3 (aq) + 2H2SO4 (aq) →
Now, the equation is balanced and complete:
2NaHCO3 (aq) + 2H2SO4 (aq) → 2NaSO4 (aq) + 2H2O (l) + 2CO2 (g)
The balanced equation shows that when sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) reacts with sulfuric acid (H2SO4), it produces sodium sulfate (NaSO4), water (H2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2).