Final answer:
The chemical reaction H2 + Cl2 → 2 HCl forms the major product hydrochloric acid, and for every mole of Cl2 reacted, two moles of HCl are produced. To balance the equation, a coefficient of 2 is placed in front of HCl for equal hydrogen and chlorine atoms on both sides.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about predicting the major product for a chemical reaction involving hydrochloric acid (HCl). When hydrogen gas (H2) reacts with chlorine gas (Cl2), the major product formed is hydrochloric acid (HCl). This reaction is a synthesis reaction where these elements combine to form the binary compound, hydrochloric acid. To balance the chemical equation, we must ensure that the number of atoms of each element is equal on both sides of the reaction. As there are two hydrogen atoms and two chlorine atoms in the reactants, we place a coefficient of 2 in front of HCl in the products to balance the equation, resulting in the balanced reaction:
H2 + Cl2 → 2 HCl
The mol HCl produced can be calculated from the stoichiometry of the reaction. For every mole of Cl2, two moles of HCl are produced. Therefore, the molar ratio of Cl2 to HCl is 1:2. This means, if the reaction goes to completion:
mol HCl produced = 2 mol Cl2 × (number of moles of Cl2 provided)
This calculation would give us the total moles of hydrochloric acid produced from the given moles of chlorine.