This is a limiting reagent (LR) problem and we know that because amounts are given for BOTH reactants.
H2SO4 + 2NaHCO3 ==> Na2SO4 + 2H2O + 2CO2
mols H2SO4 = M x L = 0.002
mols NaHCO3 = g/molar mass = approx 0.036 but that's only an estimate and you should do all of these calculations over.
Now convert each to mols of the product.
First H2SO4:
0.002 mols H2SO4 x (2 mols CO2/1 mol H2SO4) = 0.004 mols CO2.
Then NaHCO3:
0.036 mols NaHCO3 x (2 mols CO2/2 mols NaHCO3) = 0.036 x (2/2) = 0.036 mols CO3.
The two numbers don't agree (they rarely do in LR problems) so one of them must be wrong; the correct value in LR problems is ALWAYS the smaller value and the reagent producing that value is the LR. So we will produce 0.005 mols CO2
If you used 2.0mL of 1.0M H2SO4 and 3.0g of NaHCO3 how many moles of CO2 would be produced?
1 answer