Question

Write a balanced chemical reaction for the dissolution of your copper oxide sample (now that you know the empirical formula) in hydrochloric acid, HCl (aq).

a) CuO + 2HCl → CuCl₂ + H₂O
b) 2CuO + 4HCl → 2CuCl₂ + 2H₂O
c) CuO + HCl → CuCl + H₂O
d) 3CuO + 6HCl → 3CuCl2 + 3H2O

Answer 1

The correct balanced chemical equation for the dissolution of CuO in HCl is CuO + 2HCl → CuCl₂ + H₂O, highlighting an acid-base reaction producing a salt and water.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct balanced chemical equation for the dissolution of copper oxide (CuO) in hydrochloric acid (HCl) is:

CuO + 2HCl → CuCl₂ + H₂O

This equation follows the principle of conservation of mass and charge. Each element has the same number of atoms on both sides of the equation. The dissolution of a copper oxide sample in HCl is a type of acid-base reaction where the base (copper oxide) reacts with the acid (HCl) to form a salt (CuCl₂) and water (H₂O).