[goe447]

It is amazing that food is seasoned with an ionic compound that is composed of two deadly elements – sodium and chlorine. The gain or loss of electrons can make a big difference in properties. Reacting sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) with hydrochloric acid (HCl), the acid found in your stomach, produces carbon dioxide, water, and salt according to the following equation:

NaHCO3 + HCl à NaCl + CO2 + H2O

If we evaporate the water, then all that should remain is the salt, NaCl.


Questions:

What gas was released during the chemical reaction?

The sodium bicarbonate underwent a chemical change. What evidence do you have of this change?

Describe the white powder that formed. How can we get a solid from two liquids?

How can you identify the product as being different from the reactant?

To ensure that the white powder was all sodium chloride and not mixed with sodium bicarbonate, would you need to add a little less or a little more hydrochloric acid to the reaction? Explain your choice.

Mass is neither created nor destroyed. Yet the mass of the product (NaCl) was less than the mass of the reactant (NaHCO3). How can you explain this? Where did the mass go?

What might have affected the accuracy of this experiment?

[Arkcon]

Can you start by answering the first question?  Its mentioned at least twice the the text block, so you should be able to answer that one.  We like to see that the people who come here with questions at least try the easy ones, and show some work for the harder ones.