Question

What mass of sodium hydroxide, NaOH, would be required to produce 16 g of the antacid milk of magnesia [magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2] by the following reaction?

Answer 1

To produce 16 g of magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)₂, you would require 8 g of sodium hydroxide, NaOH.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the mass of sodium hydroxide, NaOH, required to produce 16 g of magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)₂, we need to first balance the chemical equation:

MgCl₂ (aq) + 2NaOH(aq) → Mg(OH)₂ (s) + 2NaCl(aq)

From the balanced equation, we can see that the ratio of NaOH to Mg(OH)₂ is 2:1. Therefore, if 16 g of Mg(OH)₂ is produced, we would need half of that amount, which is 8 g, of NaOH.