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