Solid sodium hydrogen carbonate (also known as sodium bicarbonate)can be decomposed to form solid sodium carbonate, gaseous carbon dioxide, and water vapor. When the balanced chemical reaction for this process is written such that the coefficient of water is 1, what is the coefficient of carbon dioxide?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced chemical equation for the decomposition of solid sodium bicarbonate is:
2 NaHCO3(s) → Na2CO3(s) + CO2(g) + H2O(g)
When we write the coefficient of water as 1, it means that we have to divide all the coefficients in the equation by the coefficient of water, which is 2. The resulting equation is:
NaHCO3(s) → 1/2 Na2CO3(s) + 1/2 CO2(g) + 1/2 H2O(g)
Since we cannot have a fractional coefficient, we have to multiply all coefficients by 2 to get rid of the fractions:
2 NaHCO3(s) → Na2CO3(s) + CO2(g) + H2O(g)
Thus, the coefficient of CO2 in the balanced equation is 1. Therefore, the best choice is B.

Solid Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate (Also Known as Sodium Bicarbonate)can Be