Question

Copper carbonate (CuCO3) reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl) according to this equation:

CuCO3(s) + 2HCl(aq) → CuCl2(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g).

Which statement correctly describes the substances in this reaction?

A. Exactly one product and two reactants are either liquid or dissolved in water.
B. Exactly one of the reactants is in a water-based solution, but none of the products are.
C. The reactants include both a liquid and a gas.
D. Exactly one reactant is a solid, and exactly one product is a gas.
E. The products include a solid, a liquid, and a gas.

Answer 1

The correct statement is D. Exactly one reactant is a solid, and exactly one product is a gas, where CuCO3 is a solid reactant and CO2 is a gaseous product.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question about the substances in the reaction of copper carbonate with hydrochloric acid is D. Exactly one reactant is a solid, and exactly one product is a gas. In the given reaction, CuCO3 (copper carbonate) is a solid and CO2 (carbon dioxide) is a gas that is produced.

HCl (hydrochloric acid) is in an aqueous solution, CuCl2 (copper chloride) remains in solution, and H2O (water) is a liquid.

Statements A, B, C, and E do not correctly describe the substances as they either misrepresent the states or the number of substances in each state.

It is essential to use the rules learned in previous chemistry topics, like identifying reactants and products and writing correctly balanced equations to understand such chemical reactions fully.

In this case, all we need to consider are the states of matter for reactants and products to find the correct descriptor.