Question

A student took some sodium carbonate powder and heated it in an open crucible. The student measured that the mass of powder decreased during the reaction. She concluded that the measurement must be wrong. Is she right? a. She is correct, the measurement is wrong b. She is incorrect, oxygen was produced and released into the atmosphere c. She is incorrect, carbon dioxide was produced and released into the atmosphere

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is incorrect in concluding that the measurement is wrong. The decrease in mass of the sodium carbonate powder during the reaction can be explained by the production and release of carbon dioxide gas.

When sodium carbonate is heated in an open crucible, it undergoes a chemical reaction called thermal decomposition. This reaction results in the formation of carbon dioxide gas (CO2), along with other products.

During the reaction, the sodium carbonate loses carbon dioxide molecules, which are released into the atmosphere as a gas. Since the mass of the carbon dioxide is not contained within the crucible, it is not accounted for in the measurement of the powder.

Therefore, the decrease in mass observed by the student is due to the loss of carbon dioxide gas, not an error in the measurement. The student should consider the release of carbon dioxide as a normal outcome of the reaction.

In conclusion, the student's conclusion that the measurement is wrong is incorrect. The decrease in mass is a result of the production and release of carbon dioxide gas during the thermal decomposition of sodium carbonate.

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