Name: Reactions of Metal Carbonates with Acids
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 4 min 6 s
Description: When substances like metals and liquids like acid react, it produces salt, water, and carbon dioxide. Here, in this video, it has been explained in detail wi...

Question

Write the formula of sodium chloride and sodium carbonate. Explain why an aqueous solution of sodium chloride is neutral, but an aqueous solution of sodium carbonate is basic (or alkaline). Write chemical equations of the reactions involved.

Accepted Answer

The formula of sodium chloride is $NaCl$ and sodium carbonate is ${Na}_{2} {CO}_{3}$ .

Sodium chloride is neutral in an aqueous solution because it is formed by the neutralization of a strong acid $(HCl)$ and a strong base $(NaOH)$ , whose pH becomes $7$ .
The chemical reaction involved is: $\underset{Sodium chloride}{NaCl} + \underset{Water}{H_{2} O} \to \underset{Hydrochloric acid}{HCl} + \underset{Sodium chloride}{NaOH}$ .

The aqueous solution of sodium carbonate $({Na}_{2} {CO}_{3})$ is basic in nature because it is formed from the reaction of a strong base sodium hydroxide that completely dissociates to form a large number of hydroxide ions and weak carbonic acid which partially dissociates to produce less amount of hydrogen ions in the solution. Since the amount of hydroxide ion in sodium carbonate solution is more, it is basic.
The chemical reaction involved is:

$\underset{Sodium carbonate}{{Na}_{2} {CO}_{3}} + \underset{Water}{2 H_{2} O} \to \underset{Carbonic acid}{H_{2} {CO}_{3}} + \underset{Sodium hydroxide}{2 NaOH}$ .

Write the formula of sodium chloride and sodium carbonate. Explain why an aqueous solution of sodium chloride is neutral, but an aqueous solution of sodium carbonate is basic (or alkaline). Write chemical equations of the reactions involved.

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