How do you balance this equation: #?NaHCO_3 → ?NaOH + ?CO_2#?

2 Answers
May 24, 2017

It is already balanced.

Explanation:

Na is sodium,
H is hydrogen,
C is carbon and
O is oxygen.

Sodium is balanced, there's 1 on each side.
Oxygen is also balanced, there's 3 on each side. (For the RHS, add up the O in #NaOH# and #CO_2#.
Hydrogen is balanced, there's 1 on each side.
Carbon is balanced, there's 1 on each side.

May 24, 2017

All question marks get 1.

Explanation:

#NaHCO_3 -> NaOH + CO_2#

If you compute reactants and products, check it:

Reactants: #1 Na, 1 H, 1 C, and 3 O#
Products: #1 Na, 1 H, C, and (1+2) O#

This reaction is a balanced reaction:

#NaHCO_3 -> NaOH + CO_2#