Question

Aqueous hydrochloric acid reacts with aqueous sodium sulfite to produce aqueous sodium chloride and aqueous sulfurous acid. Write a balanced chemical equation for this reaction.

Answer 1

2HCl (aq) + Na₂SO₃ (aq) → 2NaCl (aq) + H₂SO₃(aq)

Step-by-step explanation:

We identify the reactants with its phases:

HCl (aq)

Na₂SO₃ (aq)

We identify the products:

NaCl(aq)

H₂SO₃ (aq)

We dissociates the reactants:

HCl (aq) + Na₂SO₃ (aq) → H⁺ + Cl⁻ + 2Na⁺ + SO₃⁻²

2H⁺ will bond the SO₃⁻² to make the acid

and the Cl⁻ will bond the Na⁺ to make the salt

The balanced equation is:

2HCl (aq) + Na₂SO₃ (aq) → 2NaCl + H₂SO₃

Answer 2

2HCl(aq) + Na2SO3(aq) —> 2NaCl(aq) + H2SO3(aq)

Step-by-step explanation:

HCl(aq) + Na2SO3(aq) —> NaCl(aq) + H2SO3(aq)

Let us balance the equation. This is illustrated below:

There are 2 atoms of Na on the left side of the equation and 1atom on the right side. It can be balance by putting 2 in front of NaCl as shown below:

HCl(aq) + Na2SO3(aq) —> 2NaCl(aq) + H2SO3(aq)

Now, we have 2 atoms of Cl on the right side and 1 atom on the left side. Thus, it can be balance by putting 2 in front of HCl as shown below:

2HCl(aq) + Na2SO3(aq) —> 2NaCl(aq) + H2SO3(aq)

A careful look at the equation proved that the equation is balanced as the numbers of the different atoms of the element on both side of the equation are the same.