Final answer:
The student's question relates to balancing chemical equations, emphasizing the law of conservation of mass. A balanced equation for the reaction of NaCl and H₂O has been provided, along with the complete ionic and net ionic equations, highlighting the process of dissociation and the removal of spectator ions to reflect the actual chemical reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student question pertains to writing balanced chemical equations for various reactions. In Chemistry, particularly at the high school level, it is important to understand the principles of balancing chemical equations to ensure that the law of conservation of mass is adhered to. This means ensuring that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both the reactant and the product sides of the equation.
For the reaction NaCl(aq) + H₂O(l) → NaOH(aq) + H₂(g) + Cl₂ (g), the balanced molecular equation is already given. However, to provide the complete ionic and net ionic equations, we look at the dissociation of ionic compounds in water and eliminate the spectator ions (ions that do not participate in the actual reaction).
Complete ionic equation:
2Na⁺(aq) + 2Cl⁻(aq) + 2H₂O(l) → 2Na⁺(aq) + 2OH⁻(aq) + H₂(g) + Cl₂(g)
Net ionic equation:
2H₂O(l) + 2Cl⁻(aq) → 2OH⁻(aq) + H₂(g) + Cl₂(g)
To achieve a balanced equation, the coefficients must be adjusted to ensure that the number of atoms of each type matches on both sides of the equation. Students need to become comforta .