Chapter 7, Problem 12A

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The unbalanced chemical equation corresponding to the thermal decomposition of ammonium carbonate needs to be presented.

Concept Introduction:

• A chemical reaction is expressed as a chemical equation having reactants and products on left and right side of the reaction arrow respectively.

  $\text{Reactants }\to \text{ Products}$

• It also gives the physical state (solid (s), liquid (l), gas (g)) and the amount of reactants and products involved in the reaction.

Answer to Problem 12A

  ${{\text{(NH}}_{\text{4}}\text{)}}_{\text{2}}{\text{CO}}_{\text{3}}(\text{s})\stackrel{\text{heat}}{\to }{\text{ NH}}_{\text{3}}{\text{(g) + CO}}_{\text{2}}{\text{(g) + H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O(g) }$

Explanation of Solution

The given reaction involves the thermal decomposition of solid ammonium carbonate to form ammonia gas, carbon dioxide gas and water vapour. The reactants and products are:

Reactant:

  ${\text{Ammonium carbonate, solid - (NH}}_{\text{4}}{\text{)}}_{\text{2}}{\text{CO}}_{\text{3}}(\text{s})$

Products:

  $\begin{array}{l}{\text{Ammonia,gas - NH}}_{\text{3}}\text{(g)}\\ {\text{Carbon dioxide, gas - CO}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}\\ {\text{Water vapor - H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O (g)}\end{array}$

Unbalanced equation:

  ${{\text{(NH}}_{\text{4}}\text{)}}_{\text{2}}{\text{CO}}_{\text{3}}(\text{s})\stackrel{\text{heat}}{\to }{\text{ NH}}_{\text{3}}{\text{(g) + CO}}_{\text{2}}{\text{(g) + H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O(g) }$

Conclusion

Therefore the unbalanced reaction will have solid ammonium carbonate as the reactant with ammonia gas, carbon dioxide gas and water vapour are the products.