Sodium and chlorine react to form salt. Here is the chemical equation:

Question

2Na + Cl₂ → 2NaCl.

Which claim describes why the equation is balanced?

A
There are 2 Cl atoms in the reactants, and 2 Na atoms in the products.

B
There are 2 Cl atoms in the reactants, and 2 Na atoms in the reactants.

C
There are 2 Cl atoms in the reactants, and 2 Cl atoms in the products.

D
There are 2 Cl atoms in the reactants, and 1 Cl atom in the products.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

A
There are 2 Cl atoms in the reactants, and 2 Na atoms in the products.

This statement correctly reflects that, in the balanced equation, the number of sodium (Na) atoms and chlorine (Cl) atoms are equal on both sides of the reaction. Specifically, there are 2 Na atoms and 2 Cl atoms on the reactant side and 2 NaCl units (which contain 2 Na atoms and 2 Cl atoms) on the product side.