what would be the total mass of the products of a reaction in which 25 grams of table salt decomposes into the elements sodium and chlorine. use the law of conservation of mass.
25 grams=25 grams.
To determine the total mass of the products of a reaction using the law of conservation of mass, we need to understand that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. Thus, the total mass of the reactants should equal the total mass of the products.
In this case, we are given that 25 grams of table salt (NaCl) decomposes into sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl2). Let's break down the reaction:
2NaCl -> 2Na + Cl2
According to the balanced equation, every 2 moles of NaCl will yield 2 moles of Na and 1 mole of Cl2.
Now, we need to determine the molar mass of each element:
- Sodium (Na) has a molar mass of approximately 23 grams/mole.
- Chlorine (Cl2) is a diatomic molecule, so its molar mass is approximately 35.5 grams/mole.
Given that 2 moles of NaCl yield 2 moles of Na and 1 mole of Cl2, we can calculate the mass of the products as follows:
Mass of Na = (2 moles of Na) x (23 grams/mole) = 46 grams
Mass of Cl2 = (1 mole of Cl2) x (35.5 grams/mole) = 35.5 grams
Adding up the masses of the products:
Total mass of products = Mass of Na + Mass of Cl2
Total mass of products = 46 grams + 35.5 grams = 81.5 grams
Therefore, the total mass of the products of this reaction is 81.5 grams.