Name the gas evolved when dilute sulphuric acid acts on sodium carbonate write the chemical reaction

Name the gas evolved when dilute sulphuric acid acts on sodium carbonate write the chemical reaction

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

When dilute sulfuric acid reacts with sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) is evolved. The chemical reaction can be represented as follows:Na2CO3(aq)+H2SO4(aq)→Na2SO4(aq)+CO2(g)+H2O(l)\text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 (aq) + \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 (aq) \rightarrow \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 (aq) + \text{CO}_2 (g) + \text{H}_2\text{O} (l)Na2​CO3​(aq)+H2​SO4​(aq)→Na2​SO4​(aq)+CO2​(g)+H2​O(l)

Explanation:

1. Nature of the Reactants:
   • Sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) is a basic salt formed from the neutralization of a strong base, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), with carbonic acid (H₂CO₃). It exists as a white crystalline solid, which is soluble in water and dissociates into sodium (Na⁺) and carbonate (CO₃²⁻) ions in aqueous solutions.
   • Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) is a strong acid that dissociates into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and sulfate ions (SO₄²⁻) in water.
2. Reaction Process:
   • When sodium carbonate is added to dilute sulfuric acid, the hydrogen ions (H⁺) from the acid react with the carbonate ions (CO₃²⁻) from sodium carbonate to form carbonic acid (H₂CO₃).
   • However, carbonic acid is unstable and immediately decomposes into carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O): H2CO3→CO2(g)+H2O(l)\text{H}_2\text{CO}_3 \rightarrow \text{CO}_2 (g) + \text{H}_2\text{O} (l)H2​CO3​→CO2​(g)+H2​O(l)
   • The sodium ions (Na⁺) from sodium carbonate combine with sulfate ions (SO₄²⁻) from sulfuric acid to form sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄), a salt that dissolves in water.
3. Result:
   • The carbon dioxide gas produced in this reaction is the evolved gas, and it can be identified as a colorless, odorless gas that forms bubbles when released from the reaction mixture. It can be tested with lime water, as it turns lime water milky due to the formation of calcium carbonate.

This reaction illustrates an acid-base interaction that results in the evolution of carbon dioxide gas, a characteristic feature of carbonate reactions with acids.