View Full Version : Percent yield
 
 brittw27
Jun 24, 2012, 10:11 AM
If 19.2 g sodium carbonate is obtained from the thermal decomposition of 75.0 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate according to the unbalanced equation,
 NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2 
What is the percent yield?
 Unknown008
Jun 24, 2012, 10:17 AM
What is your attempt?
 
Did you try to find out the number of grams of Na2CO3 that you should be getting from heating 75.0 g of NaHCO3?
 Mariansc1234
Jun 24, 2012, 11:02 AM
If 19.2 g sodium carbonate is obtained from the thermal decomposition of 75.0 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate according to the unbalanced equation,
 NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2 
What is the percent yield?
 
The yield would be 19.88 Carbonic acid, it all turns to an acid.
 Unknown008
Jun 24, 2012, 11:12 AM
... 
 
NaHCO3 does not turn to carbonic acid... it gets decomposed by environmental heat.
 Mariansc1234
Jun 24, 2012, 12:21 PM
......
 
NaHCO3 does not turn to carbonic acid... it gets decomposed by environmental heat.
 
How so?
 Unknown008
Jun 24, 2012, 12:22 PM
The equation you posted in your very first post says so.
 Mariansc1234
Jun 24, 2012, 12:28 PM
The equation you posted in your very first post says so.
 
Sodium Bicarbonate, baking soda... is what we are talking about... it can be either a weak base or acidic.   It's a weak base, and it can be an acid. 
 
In neutral solutions it ionizes to Na+ + HCO3-.
 The HCO3- can either donate its proton (acid) or accept another (base).
 In strong basic solution:
 HCO3- + OH- --> CO32- + H2O
 In strong acidic solution:
 HCO3- + H+ --> H2CO3
 Unknown008
Jun 24, 2012, 12:31 PM
Yes, but in this case, there is no acid nor base to react with. NaHCO3 is thus not reacting with an acid/base, but is decomposing.