The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between calcium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid is:
Ca(OH)2(aq) + 2HCl(aq) CaCl2(aq) + 2H2O(l)
We can interpret this to mean:
2 moles of hydrochloric acid and _ moles of calcium hydroxideÂÂ
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react to produceÂÂ
_ moles of calcium chloride and _ moles of waterÂÂ
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The balanced chemical equation is:
[
\text{Ca(OH)}_2(aq) + 2\text{HCl}(aq) \rightarrow \text{CaCl}_2(aq) + 2\text{H}_2O(l)
]
From this, we can interpret that:
- 2 moles of hydrochloric acid (HCl) react with 1 mole of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂).
- This reaction produces 1 mole of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and 2 moles of water (H₂O).
Explanation:
- Balanced Chemical Equation:
- A balanced equation ensures the conservation of mass, meaning the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side equals the number of atoms on the product side. Here, the coefficients represent the ratio of moles of reactants and products involved in the reaction.
- Reaction Breakdown:
- Calcium hydroxide ((\text{Ca(OH)}_2)): This compound provides two hydroxide ions (OH⁻).
- Hydrochloric acid ((\text{HCl})): This strong acid provides one hydrogen ion (H⁺) per molecule.
- Each hydroxide ion reacts with one hydrogen ion to form water (H₂O).
- Stoichiometry:
- The equation tells us that 1 mole of calcium hydroxide reacts with 2 moles of hydrochloric acid. This is because calcium hydroxide has two hydroxide ions, and each requires one H⁺ ion for neutralization.
- As a result, 1 mole of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and 2 moles of water (H₂O) are produced.
- Molar Ratios:
- The molar ratios from the equation are:
- (1 \text{ Ca(OH)}_2 : 2 \text{ HCl})
- (1 \text{ Ca(OH)}_2 : 1 \text{ CaCl}_2)
- (1 \text{ Ca(OH)}_2 : 2 \text{ H}_2O)
- Key Takeaways:
- Understanding the stoichiometric coefficients helps calculate how much reactant is needed or product is formed in a chemical reaction. For example, if you have 0.5 moles of Ca(OH)₂, it will react with 1 mole of HCl to produce 0.5 moles of CaCl₂ and 1 mole of H₂O.