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Decomposition Of Nahco3

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The guiding question for the ADI lab was, “Which balanced chemical equation best represents the thermal decomposition of sodium bicarbonate?” The goal of the lab was to determine which one, of the four given, chemical equations best represents how atoms are rearranged during the thermal decomposition of the compound (NaHCO3). The atomic theory states that a chemical reaction is the rearrangement of atoms with no atoms being destroyed and no new atoms being produced during the process. Since that is true it helps to explains The Law of conservation of mass, which states that mass is conserved during a chemical reaction. The goal of this observational lab was achieved by conducting and observing an experiment. Before beginning, some dimensional analysis was done to each of the four given equations (Table 1). …show more content…

The experiment started by measuring 2 grams (1 ⁄42 of a mole) of the solid substance, NaHCO3, in a crucible (10.4 grams including crucible) and then placing it on a pipe-stem triangle over a bunsen burner. The substance was left over the bunsen burner for a total of 13 minutes. In those minutes observations were made, like a gas releasing from the crucible. After those timed minutes, the burner was turned off and the crucible, with the remaining substance still left inside, was left on the pipe-stem triangle to cool. After seven minutes of cooling the crucible was then remeasured, on a scale, and weighed 1.2 g of NaHCO3 (9.6 grams including crucible). With this it was determined that the second potential explanation best represented the thermal decomposition of sodium

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