Write a balanced equation for the reaction between calcium oxide and dilute HCl solution.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Balanced equation: \( CaO + 2HCl \rightarrow CaCl_2 + H_2O \)

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Products

In a neutralization reaction, an acid reacts with a base. Here, hydrochloric acid (HCl) is the acid and calcium oxide (CaO) is the base. The products are a salt and water. The salt, in this case, is formed from the cation of the base (Ca^{2+}) and the anion of the acid (Cl^-), which forms calcium chloride (CaCl_2). The water (H_2O) comes from the H^+ ion of the acid and the OH^- group of the base.
02

Write the Unbalanced Chemical Equation

With the reactants and products identified, write the unbalanced chemical equation: \[CaO + HCl \rightarrow CaCl_2 + H_2O\].
03

Balance the Chemical Equation

According to the law of conservation of mass, the number of each type of atom on both sides of the chemical equation should be equal. In the unbalanced equation, there are 2 Cl atoms in CaCl_2 on the product side while only 1 Cl in HCl on the reactant side. So, place a coefficient of 2 in front of HCl to balance the chlorine atoms and hydrogen atoms: \[ CaO + 2HCl \rightarrow CaCl_2 + H_2O \] The balanced chemical equation is now \[ CaO + 2HCl \rightarrow CaCl_2 + H_2O \]. Note that the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation are now equal.

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