Final answer:
In an aqueous solution during a titration, the stronger acid component reacts with sodium bicarbonate to form sodium salts, carbon dioxide, and water. Using the volume and molarity of NaOH for titration, the amount of sodium bicarbonate can be calculated and converted to grams.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the stronger acid component of a mixture is extracted into an aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution, it reacts to form sodium salts and carbon dioxide, plus water. This is a classical acid-base neutralization reaction where the acidic protons are neutralized by the bicarbonate ions (NaHCO3) to form carbonic acid, which then immediately decomposes into carbon dioxide and water.
In the context of the student's homework problem involving titration, when sulfuric acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate, carbon dioxide is produced according to the reaction:
H2SO4 + 2 NaHCO3 → Na2SO4 + 2 CO2 + 2 H2O
To calculate the amount of sodium bicarbonate used in the titration process, the molarity and volume of NaOH used to titrate the resulting solution after sodium bicarbonate neutralization can be translated into moles of HNO3 that reacted. From the stoichiometry of the reaction, the equivalent moles of sodium bicarbonate can be deduced and then converted into grams.