Which is the balanced chemical equation representing the reaction between
vinegar and baking soda?
c2h4o2 + nahco3 - nac2h302 + h2o + co2
o a) c2h4o2 + nahco3 - nac2h302 + h2o + co2
o b) c2h4o2 + 2nahco3 - 2nac2h302 + h2o + co2
oc) 2c2h4o2 + nahco3 - nac2h302 + h2o + 2002
od 2c2h4o2 + nahco3 - nac2h302 + 2h20 + 2002

Choice A: .

Explanation:

Indeed it is possible to balance this equation by the conservation of atoms in a chemical reaction. However, knowing what's actually going on in this process will likely make this problem easier to solve.

Vinegar contains acetic acid . Acetic acid is a monoprotic acid. In other words, each can dissociate to produce up to one hydrogen ion . That is:

.

Baking soda is a common name for sodium bicarbonate . Each formula unit of contains one bicarbonate ion: . Each bicarbonate ion will consume one hydrogen ion to produce water and carbon dioxide:

.

For this chemical equation to balance, the number of hydrogen ions that supplies shall be the same as the number of these ions that consumes. Each unit of supplies one unit of hydrogen ions while each unit of consumes one unit of hydrogen ions. Reacting the two at a one-to-one ratio will make sure that this reaction neither run short of hydrogen ions or produce more hydrogen ions than it need.

Hence the coefficient in front of and shall be the same. Let their coefficients be one.

.

Now, balance this equation with reference to the number of atoms:

.