When baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate, NaHCO3) is heated, it releases carbon dioxide gas, which is responsible for the rising of cookies, donuts, and bread. (a) Write a balanced equation for the decomposition of the compound (one of the products is Na2CO3). (b) Calculate the mass of NaHCO3 required to produce 20.5 g of CO2. Chang, Raymond. Chemistry (p. 113). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kindle Edition.

There is 78.25g NaHCO3 required

Explanation:

Step 1: Balance the equation

2 NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + CO2 + H20

For 2 moles of NaHCO3 consumed, there is produced 1 mole of Na2CO3, 1 mole of CO2 and 1 mole of H2O.

Step 2: calculating moles of CO2

mass of Co2 = 20.5g

Molar mass of CO2 = 44.01 g/mole

moles of CO2 = 20.5 / 44.01 = 0.4658 moles

Step 3: Calculating moles of NaHCO3

Since we have for 1 mole CO2 produced, there is 2 moles of NaHCO3 consumed.

To calculate number of moles of NaHCO3, we have to multiply the number of moles of CO2, by 2.

⇒ 0.4658 x2 = 0.9316 moles

Step 4: Calculating the mass of NaHCO3

mass of NaHCO3 = moles of NaHCO3 x Molar mass of NaHCO3

mass = 0.9316 moles x 84g / mole = 78.25g NaHCO3

There is 78.25g NaHCO3 required