In a chemical reaction, 18 grams of hydrochloric acid reacts with 20 grams of sodium hydroxide to produce sodium chloride and water. Which statement is correct?
a) The mass of water formed is 38 grams.
b) The mass of sodium chloride formed is 38 grams.
c) The total mass of sodium chloride and water formed is greater than 35 grams.
d) The total mass of sodium chloride and water formed is less than 35 grams.
c) The total mass of sodium chloride and water formed is greater than 35 grams.
To calculate the total mass of sodium chloride and water formed, we need to calculate the molar masses of the compounds involved.
The molar mass of NaCl (sodium chloride) is approximately 58.44 g/mol, and the molar mass of H2O (water) is approximately 18.015 g/mol.
Using the given masses of reactants, we can determine the limiting reactant to be NaOH (sodium hydroxide) since 20 grams of NaOH is less than the 18 grams of HCl (hydrochloric acid) required for complete reaction.
The equation for the reaction is:
HCl + NaOH -> NaCl + H2O
From the given reaction, when 18 grams of HCl reacts with 20 grams of NaOH, the maximum amount of NaCl and H2O that can be formed is:
HCl (18 g) = 0.469 moles
NaOH (20 g) = 0.5 moles
Since the molar ratio between HCl and NaOH is 1:1, only 0.469 moles of NaOH will react. This means that only 0.469 moles of NaOH will produce 0.469 moles of NaCl and 0.469 moles of H2O.
The mass of NaCl formed = 0.469 moles x 58.44 g/mol ≈ 27.42 grams
The mass of H2O formed = 0.469 moles x 18.015 g/mol ≈ 8.45 grams
Therefore, the total mass of NaCl and H2O formed is approximately 27.42 grams + 8.45 grams = 35.87 grams, which is greater than 35 grams.