Equation for the reaction which took place: Hydrochloric acid + calcium carbonate -> calcium chloride + carbon dioxide + water
When the reaction stopped the total mass had decreased from 102.5g to 101.4g.
some water had evaporated from the beaker what else caused the drop is mass?
Some of the CO2 was lost as a gas.
Also, depending on how hot the mixture became, maybe some of the water was lost as steam.
To determine the other factor that caused the drop in mass, we need to understand the reaction that took place between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
The balanced equation for the reaction is:
2HCl + CaCO3 → CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O
From the equation, we can see that when hydrochloric acid reacts with calcium carbonate, it produces calcium chloride, carbon dioxide, and water.
However, we also know that some water evaporated from the beaker, which means the weight loss is not solely due to the reaction. There are two possibilities for the decrease in mass:
1. Evaporation of Water: As some water evaporated from the beaker, it resulted in a decrease in mass. The reaction between hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate does produce water, and it is possible for some of that water to evaporate during the reaction.
2. Escape of Gases: During the reaction, carbon dioxide gas is produced. Since gases have low density and can easily escape into the atmosphere, it is possible that some carbon dioxide gas was released, resulting in a decrease in mass.
To accurately determine the contributions of water evaporation and the escape of gases, you would need to perform the reaction in a closed system with proper apparatus to capture all the gases produced and prevent water from evaporating.