In the space below, answer the following questions. Explain whether the formation of sodium chloride from sodium and chlorine is an example of a chemical change or physical change? Use the chemical formula in the reaction of sodium and chlorine to explain how atoms in the reactants are rearranged to form a new substance. Apply the Law of Conservation of Matter to your response.
The formation of sodium chloride from sodium and chlorine is an example of a chemical change. In this reaction, the atoms in the reactants (sodium and chlorine) are rearranged to form a new substance (sodium chloride). The chemical formula for this reaction is:
2Na + Cl2 -> 2NaCl
In this reaction, two atoms of sodium (Na) combine with two atoms of chlorine (Cl2) to form two molecules of sodium chloride (NaCl). The sodium (Na) atoms lose one electron each to achieve a stable electron configuration, becoming positively charged sodium ions (Na+). The chlorine (Cl2) molecules each gain one electron, becoming negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-). The sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) then attract each other due to their opposite charges, forming the ionic compound sodium chloride (NaCl).
This reaction follows the Law of Conservation of Matter, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, only rearranged. In the formation of sodium chloride, the number and types of atoms remain the same before and after the reaction. The two sodium atoms in the reactants combine with the two chlorine atoms in the reactants to form two molecules of sodium chloride, resulting in the same number and types of atoms in the products.