Hi all,

I have the preliminary reaction and products here and I am trying to determine what would happen to the products (visually and chemically) if I added sulfuric acid to the products. The reactant side started with 10 mL of Sodium Carbonate and 3mL of calcium chloride and I am adding another 3 mL of sulfuric acid into the product solution. Now I understand sulfuric acid can react at high temperatures with sodium chloride to produce sodium bisulfate and hydrochloric acid. I am also aware that sulfuric acid reacts with calcium carbonate to produce calcium sulfate, CO2, and H2O. My question is which one would happen?


CaCl2(aq) + Na2CO3(aq) --> CaCO3(s) + 2NaCl(aq) (I couldn't get the subscripts in smaller letters the numbers AFTER the elements refer to the quantity of that specific element the numbers before still refer to the quantity of the compound)

Thank you very much for any help you can give me!

You'll get foaming (CO2) or bubbling, or whatever you wish to call it. Some heat will be evolved. Actually, simply pouring sulfuric acid into water will evolve heat ("Do what you otter ... Add the acid to the water"). This is a facile reaction and will occur easily.

Sodium chloride will not react with sulfuric acid at normal temperatures. You'd have to get to very high temperatures to get sodium bisulfite.

Hey thanks a lot perito, out of curiosity would the same outcome occur if you poured calcium chloride and sulfuric acid into the sodium carbonate at the same time instead of separately?

Hmm, I believe that you'll have a simultaneous reaction taking place.



and





So, you'll see only bubbles of gas being given off.

You'll perhaps see a white precipitate which appears and disappears quickly. I'm not sure of that though, the practical has to be made to confirm. But if the sodium carbonate is in excess, you will definitely have the precipitate of CaCO3.

:)