Final answer:
According to the balanced equation, 1.8066 x 10²⁴ molecules of HCl are reacting.
Step-by-step explanation:
The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:
2Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl₃ + 3H₂
From the equation, we can see that for every 6 moles of HCl, 2 moles of AlCl₃ are produced. Therefore, the number of molecules of HCl reacting can be calculated as follows:
1 mole of HCl = Avogadro's number (6.022 x 10²³) molecules
So, to find the number of molecules of HCl reacting, we need to calculate the number of moles of HCl first. From the balanced equation, we can see that 6 moles of HCl react with 2 moles of AlCl₃. Therefore, if we have 'x' moles of HCl, we can set up the following proportion:
(6 moles HCl) / (2 moles AlCl₃) = (x moles HCl) / (1 mole AlCl₃)
Simplifying the proportion, we get:
x = (6 moles HCl * 1 mole AlCl₃) / (2 moles AlCl₃)
x = 3 moles HCl
Finally, converting the moles of HCl to molecules:
3 moles HCl = 6.022 x 10²³ * 3 = 1.8066 x 10²⁴ molecules of HCl