Question

Will carbon dioxide be evolved when sodium bicarbonate is added to an aqueous solution of each compound? Explain. (a) Sulfuric acid (b) Ethanol (c) Ammonium chloride

Short answer

Answer: (a) Yes, CO2 will be evolved when sodium bicarbonate is added to an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. (b) No, CO2 will not be evolved when sodium bicarbonate is added to an aqueous solution of ethanol. (c) Yes, CO2 will be evolved when sodium bicarbonate is added to an aqueous solution of ammonium chloride.

Step-by-step solution

(a) Reaction with Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)

To determine whether CO2 will be evolved, consider the reaction between NaHCO3 and H2SO4: NaHCO3 + H2SO4 -> NaHSO4 + CO2 + H2O Here, carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the products formed, so when sodium bicarbonate is added to an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid, CO2 will be evolved.

(b) Reaction with Ethanol (C2H5OH)

Now consider the reaction between NaHCO3 and C2H5OH: NaHCO3 + C2H5OH -> No reaction There is no reaction between sodium bicarbonate and ethanol, as ethanol is a weak acid and cannot donate a proton to react sufficiently with NaHCO3. Therefore, when sodium bicarbonate is added to an aqueous solution of ethanol, CO2 will not be evolved.

(c) Reaction with Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl)

Finally, consider the reaction between NaHCO3 and NH4Cl: NaHCO3 + NH4Cl -> NaCl + NH3 + CO2 + H2O In this case, carbon dioxide (CO2) is also one of the products formed. So, when sodium bicarbonate is added to an aqueous solution of ammonium chloride, CO2 will be evolved.