Final answer:
The chemical reaction when Na2CO3 was spread on spilled nitric acid is an acid-base neutralization reaction. To know if the amount of Na2CO3 was sufficient to neutralize the acid, the stoichiometry of the reaction must be considered, but with just the weights of substances, we cannot determine the sufficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chemical reaction that occurred when Na₂CO₃ was spread on the spilled nitric acid is a b. Acid-base neutralization reaction.
Sodium carbonate is a basic compound, and when it reacts with an acid like nitric acid, the result is the formation of water, carbon dioxide, and a salt. The balanced equation for this type of reaction is:
Na₂CO₃(aq) + 2HNO₃(aq) → 2NaNO₃(aq) + H₂O(l) + CO₂(g)
To determine if the amount of Na₂CO₃ used was sufficient to neutralize all of the spilled nitric acid, you would need to compare the molar amounts of the reactants.
Given the information that 2.5 kg of nitric acid and 2 kg of Na₂CO₃ were used, we're missing the information to determine the stoichiometry, but if the amounts are stoichiometrically balanced, the answer would be a. Yes.
Without the exact concentrations or volumes, we cannot be certain.