For our experiment we used potassium bicarbonate, and 6 M hydrochloric acid.
KHCO3 + HCL ---> KCl + H2O + CO2
so Potassium bicarb and HCl react with one another at a 1:1 mole ratio. Also every molke of potassium bicarb present will create 1 mole of potassium chloride will be created.
So we wighed 2.5 grams of potassium bicarb in a dish weighed it, than dissolved it in 5mL water. we than added 6mL of 6 M HCl. We than put this dish on top of a beaker that was our water bath and heated it on a bunsen burner. Once all of the liquid was gone, we reweighed it as few times, until it stopped decreasing. My starting weight was 2.30 g, my end weight was 2.14 g.
The question in the post lab asks, Why is the mass of KCL recovered less than the starting mass of KHCO3? Theoretically, Why should the moles of KHCO3 and the moles of KCl produced be the same?
If you guys could help me with these questions, I would greatly appreciate it.
Steph