Understanding the Reaction

Sodium (Na) reacts vigorously with chlorine gas (Cl₂) to form sodium chloride (NaCl), a common table salt. The balanced chemical equation is:

2 Na + Cl₂ → 2 NaCl

The Problem

The problem states that:

* A flask weighs 50.0 grams.

* 2.0 grams of sodium (Na) are added.

* Chlorine gas (Cl₂) is pumped in to react completely with the sodium.

What We Need to Find

The problem doesn't explicitly ask for a specific value, so we'll assume we want to find the following:

1. The mass of sodium chloride (NaCl) formed.

2. The total mass of the flask and its contents after the reaction.

Calculations

1. Moles of Sodium:

- The molar mass of sodium (Na) is 22.99 g/mol.

- Moles of Na = (2.0 g) / (22.99 g/mol) = 0.087 mol

2. Moles of Sodium Chloride:

- From the balanced equation, 2 moles of Na react to form 2 moles of NaCl. So, the moles of NaCl formed are equal to the moles of Na: 0.087 mol.

3. Mass of Sodium Chloride:

- The molar mass of NaCl is 58.44 g/mol.

- Mass of NaCl = (0.087 mol) * (58.44 g/mol) = 5.1 g

4. Total Mass After Reaction:

- Initial mass of flask = 50.0 g

- Mass of sodium added = 2.0 g

- Mass of NaCl formed = 5.1 g

- Total mass = 50.0 g + 2.0 g + 5.1 g = 57.1 g

Answer

* The mass of sodium chloride (NaCl) formed is 5.1 grams.

* The total mass of the flask and its contents after the reaction is 57.1 grams.