[onenameless]

We did an experiment where we mixed a chemical mixture of:
Citric Acid (C6H8O7) + Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) + Sodium Chloride (NaCl)

That mixture was a powder substance and we then mixed it with a base: NaOH
This was a titration lab, to neutralize the Chemical mixture with NaOH
I need to know how to write the balanced equation for this, i've tried:

C6H8O7 + CaCl2 + NaCl + NaOH --> CaCl2 + NaCl + H2O + CO2 + NaOH

As the unbalanced equation. Is it correct?

[Borek]

No, each component of the mixture reacts (or doesn't react) separately, you can't write ONE reaction.

[Arkcon]

Furthermore (and it's hard to know this when you're starting out with chemistry, so I'm just going to tell you,) a dilute solution of NaOH is not going to digest citric acid down to CO2.  Then only thing that happens is the reaction with citric acid's 3 free acid protons, not every single hydrogen in the molecule.  You'll learn that towards the end of your second year of university organic chemistry, or you teacher should have given you this hint sooner.

[onenameless]

Oh, i see. I think i may have to take the salts out of the equation then.

[Arkcon]

Here's a tip, I've given it before in another thread, break down each reactant and product into the ions they form.  Then cancel out the ions on both sides of the equation, as they are spectator ions see  {wikipedia click}.  I'll do one for you, instead of calling citric acid C₆H₈O₇(which could mean a number of organic molecules), call it [citrate]^3- and 3 H⁺