Sodium azide (NaN3) is a substance that can be used to inflate airbags. An electrical impulse causes the sodium azide to decompose, producing elemental sodium and nitrogen gas. Write the balanced chemical equation for this reaction.

NaN₃ (s) → Na (l) + N₂ (g).

Explanation:

An electrical impulse causes the sodium azide to decompose, producing elemental sodium and nitrogen gas according to the balanced equation:

NaN₃ (s) → Na (l) + N₂ (g).

It is clear that 1.0 mole of NaN₃ (s) is decomposed to produce 1.0 mole of Na (l) and 1.0 mole of N₂ (g).

2NaN3 (s) →2Na (s) + 3N2 (g)

Explanation: The equation above follows law of conservation of mass. The number of atoms of each element on each side of a chemical equation must be equal.