NaHCO₃(s) → Na₂CO₃(s) + CO₂(g) + H₂O(g)
Here's the breakdown of how to balance it:
1. Identify the elements: We have sodium (Na), hydrogen (H), carbon (C), and oxygen (O).
2. Count the atoms on each side:
* Reactants (left side):
* Na: 1
* H: 1
* C: 1
* O: 3
* Products (right side):
* Na: 2
* H: 2
* C: 1
* O: 5
3. Balance the equation:
* Start with sodium: To balance the sodium atoms, place a coefficient of 2 in front of NaHCO₃:
2NaHCO₃(s) → Na₂CO₃(s) + CO₂(g) + H₂O(g)
* Now, the other elements are balanced automatically:
* Na: 2 on both sides
* H: 2 on both sides
* C: 2 on both sides
* O: 6 on both sides
The balanced chemical equation is:
2NaHCO₃(s) → Na₂CO₃(s) + CO₂(g) + H₂O(g)
This means that when two molecules of sodium hydrogen carbonate decompose, they produce one molecule of sodium carbonate, one molecule of carbon dioxide, and one molecule of water.
