Final answer:
To calculate the percent yield for the bicarbonate decomposition reaction, compare the actual yield to the theoretical yield. In this case, the percent yield is 50%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the percent yield for the bicarbonate decomposition reaction, we need to compare the actual yield to the theoretical yield. The theoretical yield is the amount of sodium bicarbonate that should have been produced based on the balanced chemical equation. In this case, the balanced equation is 2 NaHCO3(s) → Na2CO3 (s) + CO2(g) + H2O(l).
The molar mass of NaHCO3 is 84.006 g/mol, so 1.018 g of sodium carbonate is equivalent to 0.0121 mol. Since the balanced equation shows that 2 mol of NaHCO3 produces 1 mol of Na2CO3, the theoretical yield of sodium carbonate would be 0.00605 mol.
The percent yield is calculated using the formula: (actual yield / theoretical yield) * 100%. Substituting the values, we have: (0.00605 mol / 0.0121 mol) * 100% = 50%.