Question

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

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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`