Question

Challenge Acetic acid \(\left(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COOH}\right)\) and potassium hydroxide react to produce potassium acetate and water.

Short answer

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) to produce potassium acetate (CH₃COOK) and water (H₂O) is: \( CH_{3}COOH + KOH \rightarrow CH_{3}COOK + 2H_{2}O \)

Step-by-step solution

1. Write the unbalanced chemical equation

To write the unbalanced chemical equation, we start by identifying the reactants and the products. The reactants are acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). The products are potassium acetate (CH₃COOK) and water (H₂O). The unbalanced equation is: CH₃COOH + KOH ⟶ CH₃COOK + H₂O

2. Count the atoms on both sides of the equation

Count the atoms on both sides of the equation to determine whether the equation is balanced or not. Reactants: - 2 Carbon atoms (C) - 4 Hydrogen atoms (H) - 2 Oxygen atoms (O) - 1 Potassium atom (K) Products: - 2 Carbon atoms (C) - 5 Hydrogen atoms (H) - 2 Oxygen atoms (O) - 1 Potassium atom (K) The equation is not balanced yet, as there are unequal numbers of Hydrogen atoms on both sides.

3. Balance the chemical equation

To balance the chemical equation, we will equalize the number of Hydrogen atoms in the reactants and products by multiplying the number of water molecules (H₂O) by 2 on the products side. Balanced equation: CH₃COOH + KOH ⟶ CH₃COOK + 2H₂O Now, count the atoms on both sides again to confirm the equation is balanced: Reactants: - 2 Carbon atoms (C) - 4 Hydrogen atoms (H) - 2 Oxygen atoms (O) - 1 Potassium atom (K) Products: - 2 Carbon atoms (C) - 4 Hydrogen atoms (H) - 2 Oxygen atoms (O) - 1 Potassium atom (K) The equation is now balanced, with equal numbers of each atom on both sides.

4. Conclusion

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between acetic acid and potassium hydroxide to produce potassium acetate and water is: CH₃COOH + KOH ⟶ CH₃COOK + 2H₂O

Key concepts

Understanding Chemical Reactions

Chemical reactions are processes where substances, known as reactants, transform into new substances, called products, through the breaking and forming of chemical bonds. For example, when acetic acid reacts with potassium hydroxide, the acetic acid donates a hydrogen ion to the hydroxide, resulting in the formation of water and potassium acetate. This particular reaction is a classic example of an acid-base reaction, where the acid (acetic acid) and the base (potassium hydroxide) react to form a salt (potassium acetate) and water.

These transformations always follow the Law of Conservation of Mass, meaning the mass of the reactants equals the mass of the products. On a microscopic level, this law implies that the number of atoms of each element remains the same before and after the reaction. Therefore, when writing chemical equations, it is crucial to ensure they are balanced, reflecting the equal number of atoms for each element on both sides of the equation.

The Basics of Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the section of chemistry that involves calculating the amounts of reactants and products in chemical reactions. It is a quantitative relationship between the reactants and products in a balanced chemical equation, used to predict how much product will form from a given amount of reactant, or how much reactant is needed to produce a desired amount of product.

In the acetic acid and potassium hydroxide reaction, the stoichiometry requires that one molecule of acetic acid reacts with one molecule of potassium hydroxide to produce one molecule of potassium acetate and two molecules of water. The stoichiometric coefficients—the numbers placed before the formulas—indicate the ratio of the reactants and products. They are adjusted to balance the equation so that it abides by the Law of Conservation of Mass. This allows chemists to calculate how much of each reactant is needed and how much of each product will be produced in a reaction.

Acid-Base Neutralization

Acid-base neutralization is a specific type of chemical reaction in which an acid and a base react to form water and a salt. This is precisely what happens when acetic acid (\(CH_3COOH\)) and potassium hydroxide (\(KOH\)) come into contact: they undergo a neutralization reaction.

The acetic acid, as an acid, donates a proton (\(H^+\)) to the hydroxide ion (\(OH^-\)) from the potassium hydroxide, a base. The result is two neutral substances: water (\(H_2O\)) and potassium acetate (\(CH_3COOK\)), the salt. Acid-base neutralization reactions are important because they are the basis for titration techniques used in chemistry to determine the concentrations of unknown acid or base solutions, and they also play a critical role in various biological and environmental processes.