Question

Your lab partner states that 2, 1, 2, and 1 are the best coefficients to balance the following reaction that you're using in your lab activity.



Take a moment to consider the lab partner's thinking and select the best explanation for how to proceed with the lab activity.

(1 point)
Responses

Agree, explaining that it is always correct to have the same numbers for coefficients in order on both sides of the equation.
Agree, explaining that it is always correct to have the same numbers for coefficients in order on both sides of the equation.

Disagree, explaining that it would appear that with those coefficients, the numbers of nitrate ions are balanced, but silver, sodium, and chlorine atoms are not. Propose a change to 1, 1, 1, and 1.
Disagree, explaining that it would appear that with those coefficients, the numbers of nitrate ions are balanced, but silver, sodium, and chlorine atoms are not. Propose a change to 1, 1, 1, and 1.

Agree, explaining that it makes sense to have three total moles for both products and reactants meaning it is balanced.
Agree, explaining that it makes sense to have three total moles for both products and reactants meaning it is balanced.

Disagree, explaining that all of the coefficients in every chemical equation have to be the same throughout in order for an equation to be balanced. Propose a change to 2, 2, 2, and 2.
Disagree, explaining that all of the coefficients in every chemical equation have to be the same throughout in order for an equation to be balanced. Propose a change to 2, 2, 2, and 2.
Question 2
One of the most important objectives in this unit is to be able to support "conservation" by showing that reactant mass and product mass are equal.

Balance the equation above. Use the interactive periodic table linked here to calculate the mass of each of the reactants on the left and the mass of each of the products on the right. Provide the masses in grams of the reactants and products in the response boxes below. Please carry each answer out to the nearest hundredths place or two decimal places. The unit labels are provided. [Hint, if your calculations are correct, you should find that the sum of the masses of your reactants equal the sum of the masses of the products.]As long as you've located the proper masses from the periodic table you should be golden.]

(4 points)
grams AgNO3

grams NaCl

grams NaNO3

grams AgCl



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Answer 1

Choose the disagree option that proposes changing the coefficients to 1, 1, 1, and 1.

Reason: With 2, 1, 2, 1 the nitrate groups are balanced, but Ag, Na, and Cl are not (2 Ag on the left vs. 1 on the right; 1 Na on the left vs. 2 on the right). The correct balanced equation is:
AgNO3 + NaCl → NaNO3 + AgCl
(1, 1, 1, 1).

Molar masses (per 1 mol of each compound), rounded to two decimal places:
- AgNO3: 169.87 g
- NaCl: 58.44 g
- NaNO3: 84.99 g
- AgCl: 143.32 g

Total mass reactants = 169.87 + 58.44 = 228.31 g
Total mass products = 84.99 + 143.32 = 228.31 g
(Conservation of mass confirmed.)