2NaHCO3 to Na2CO3 + CO2
which of the following can be added to the products to balance the equation?
O2
H2O
H2
CH2OH
H2O can be added to balance the equation.
To balance the equation 2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + CO2, we need to make sure that the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides of the equation.
Let's go through the options:
1. O2: Oxygen is not present in the reactants or the products, so adding O2 will not help balance the equation.
2. H2O: Adding water (H2O) will affect both the hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms. The equation currently has 4 hydrogen atoms and 8 oxygen atoms on the left side. To balance the hydrogen, we need to add 4 water molecules. This will give us a total of 8 hydrogen atoms on the right side. However, adding water will also increase the number of oxygen atoms to 12, which does not match the 8 oxygen atoms on the left side. Therefore, adding H2O will not balance the equation.
3. H2: Adding hydrogen gas (H2) will not help balance the equation since the equation does not contain any hydrogen atoms.
4. CH2OH: Adding CH2OH, which is a molecule of methanol, will introduce carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. Since the equation does not contain any carbon, adding CH2OH will not help balance the equation.
In conclusion, none of the options provided (O2, H2O, H2, CH2OH) can be added to the products to balance the equation 2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + CO2.
To balance the given chemical equation:
2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + CO2
Start by counting the number of atoms on each side of the equation.
On the left side (reactant side):
2 Na (sodium) atoms
2 H (hydrogen) atoms
2 C (carbon) atoms
6 O (oxygen) atoms (2 from NaHCO3, and 4 from HCO3)
On the right side (product side):
1 Na (sodium) atom
1 C (carbon) atom
3 O (oxygen) atoms (2 from Na2CO3 and 1 from CO2)
Now, let's go through the options to see which one can be added to balance the equation:
1. O2: This option will only affect the oxygen (O) atoms in the equation. However, we have 6 O atoms on the left side and 3 O atoms on the right side. Therefore, O2 alone cannot balance the equation.
2. H2O: Adding water (H2O) can introduce hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms to balance the equation. However, we don't need additional hydrogen atoms because we already have enough on the reactant side. Therefore, H2O is not the right option to balance this equation.
3. H2: Adding hydrogen gas (H2) can introduce hydrogen atoms to balance the equation. However, since we already have enough hydrogen atoms on the reactant side, H2 is not necessary and should not be added.
4. CH2OH: This option involves adding a compound called CH2OH. It does not contain any elements or molecules that can directly balance the equation. Therefore, CH2OH is not the correct option.
In conclusion, none of the given options (O2, H2O, H2, CH2OH) can be added to the products to balance the equation. The equation as it is cannot be further balanced.