Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
14. Chemical Moles
Topic
In the conversion of baking soda to table salt, the ratio of moles of
reactant to moles of product can be calculated.
Introduction
Chemical equations show the reactants and products of a chemical
reaction. Chemical equations must be balanced to show that matter is not
gained or lost in a reaction. Therefore, the amounts of each type of atom
must be the same on both the
reactant
and
product
sides of the equation.
A balanced chemical equation includes
coefficients
that show the mole
ratio, ratio of reactants and products to each other. For example, in the
chemical equation
2 Mg + O
2
2 MgO
the coefficients show that the reaction requires 2 moles of magnesium for
every 1 mole of oxygen gas to form 2 moles of magnesium oxide.
By using mole ratios and the amount of one reactant or product, the
amount of the other reactant or product in a chemical reaction can be
calculated. In this experiment, you will determine how many grams (g)
of sodium chloride, or table salt, will be produced from the reaction of a
precise amount of baking soda with an excess amount of hydrochloric
acid (see Figure 1). Then you will perform the reaction, isolate sodium
chloride, and determine the percent yield of your reaction.
Time Required
45 minutes
Materials
2
baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), about 2 g
2
6 molars (M) hydrochloric acid
