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Chapter 7: Problem 10

A novel process for obtaining magnesium from sea water involves several reactions. Write a balanced chemical equation for each step of the process. (a) The first step is the decomposition of solid calcium carbonate from seashells to form solid calcium oxide and gaseous carbon dioxide. (b) The second step is the formation of solid calcium hydroxide as the only product from the reaction of the solid calcium oxide with liquid water. (c) Solid calcium hydroxide is then added to the seawater, reacting with dissolved magnesium chloride to yield solid magnesium hydroxide and aqueous calcium chloride. (d) The solid magnesium hydroxide is added to a hydrochloric acid solution, producing dissolved magnesium chloride and liquid water. (e) Finally, the magnesium chloride is melted and electrolyzed to yield liquid magnesium metal and diatomic chlorine gas.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The balanced chemical equations for the process are: (a) CaCO₃(s) → CaO(s) + CO₂(g), (b) CaO(s) + H₂O(l) → Ca(OH)₂(s), (c) Ca(OH)₂(s) + MgCl₂(aq) → Mg(OH)₂(s) + CaCl₂(aq), (d) Mg(OH)₂(s) + 2HCl(aq) → MgCl₂(aq) + 2H₂O(l), (e) MgCl₂(l) → Mg(l) + Cl₂(g).

Step by step solution

01

Decomposition of Calcium Carbonate

Write the chemical equation for the decomposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) into calcium oxide (CaO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). Balance the reaction by ensuring the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the equation.Equation: CaCO₃(s) → CaO(s) + CO₂(g)
02

Formation of Calcium Hydroxide

Combine calcium oxide (CaO) with water (H₂O) to form calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂). Balance the chemical equation.Equation: CaO(s) + H₂O(l) → Ca(OH)₂(s)
03

Reaction of Calcium Hydroxide with Magnesium Chloride

React the calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) with magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) dissolved in seawater to form magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂) and aqueous calcium chloride (CaCl₂). Balance the equation by aligning the stoichiometric coefficients.Equation: Ca(OH)₂(s) + MgCl₂(aq) → Mg(OH)₂(s) + CaCl₂(aq)
04

Reaction of Magnesium Hydroxide with Hydrochloric Acid

The solid magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂) is treated with hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution to produce magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) and water (H₂O). Balance the reaction equation.Equation: Mg(OH)₂(s) + 2HCl(aq) → MgCl₂(aq) + 2H₂O(l)
05

Electrolysis of Magnesium Chloride

Magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) is melted and subjected to electrolysis to produce magnesium metal (Mg) and chlorine gas (Cl₂). The balanced equation for this process reflects the conservation of mass and charge.Equation: MgCl₂(l) → Mg(l) + Cl₂(g)

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Decomposition of Calcium Carbonate
When it comes to understanding the decomposition of calcium carbonate, think of it like breaking down a Lego construction into its basic blocks. In chemistry, this process involves heating up calcium carbonate till it falls apart into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide. This can be represented by a simple balanced chemical equation: \[CaCO_3(s) \rightarrow CaO(s) + CO_2(g)\]This equation reflects the law of conservation of mass, as the number of atoms of each element remains the same before and after the reaction. Understanding this principle is crucial, as it's foundational to all chemical equations.
Formation of Calcium Hydroxide
The formation of calcium hydroxide can be thought of as a marriage between calcium oxide and water. When these two compounds come together, they react to form a new substance, calcium hydroxide. The balanced chemical equation that shows this reaction is:\[CaO(s) + H_2O(l) \rightarrow Ca(OH)_2(s)\]By ensuring the equation is balanced, we honor the law of conservation of mass again, affirming that atoms are neither created nor destroyed in chemical reactions. This step is fundamental for students to master as it sets the stage for further reactions.
Reaction with Magnesium Chloride
When solid calcium hydroxide and dissolved magnesium chloride meet in seawater, they engage in a chemical dance, swapping partners to form magnesium hydroxide and calcium chloride. The reaction is described by the balanced equation:\[Ca(OH)_2(s) + MgCl_2(aq) \rightarrow Mg(OH)_2(s) + CaCl_2(aq)\]Aligning the stoichiometric coefficients is like keeping the beat in a dance, ensuring that each atom from the reactants ends up in the products. This swap is essential for processes like obtaining magnesium, and also exemplifies the concept of double displacement reactions in chemistry.
Electrolysis of Magnesium Chloride
The final act in obtaining pure magnesium involves a process called electrolysis, where electric current is the director that orchestrates the breakdown of magnesium chloride. This is not unlike passing electricity through a saltwater solution. During electrolysis, magnesium ions gain electrons (reduction) to become magnesium metal, and chloride ions lose electrons (oxidation) to become chlorine gas. The equation for this process is:\[MgCl_2(l) \rightarrow Mg(l) + Cl_2(g)\]Here, balancing takes into account not just the mass, but also the charges, ensuring that the electrical charge is the same on both sides. Electrolysis illustrates the transformative power of electricity in chemistry and is crucial for producing many elements and compounds industrially.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What volume of 0.600 M HCl is required to react completely with 2.50 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate? \(\mathrm{NaHCO}_{3}(a q)+\mathrm{HCl}(a q) \rightarrow \mathrm{NaCl}(a q)+\mathrm{CO}_{2}(g)+\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(l)\)

Balance each of the following equations according to the half-reaction method: (a) \(\operatorname{Sn}^{2+}(a q)+\mathrm{Cu}^{2+}(a q) \rightarrow \mathrm{Sn}^{4+}(a q)+\mathrm{Cu}^{+}(a q)\) (b) \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{S}(g)+\mathrm{Hg}_{2}^{2+}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{H} g(l)+\mathrm{S}(s)\) (in acid) (c) \(\mathrm{CN}^{-}(a q)+\mathrm{ClO}_{2}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{CNO}^{-}(a q)+\mathrm{Cl}^{-}(a q)\) (in acid) (d) \(\mathrm{Fe}^{2+}(a q)+\mathrm{Ce}^{4+}(a q) \rightarrow \mathrm{Fe}^{3+}(a q)+\mathrm{Ce}^{3+}(a q)\) (e) \(\operatorname{HBrO}(a q) \rightarrow \operatorname{Br}^{-}(a q)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g)\) (in acid)

Write the balanced equation, then outline the steps necessary to determine the information requested in each of the following: (a) The number of moles and the mass of Mg required to react with \(5.00 \mathrm{g}\) of \(\mathrm{HCl}\) and produce \(\mathrm{MgCl}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{H}_{2}\). (b) The number of moles and the mass of oxygen formed by the decomposition of \(1.252 \mathrm{g}\) of silver(I) oxide. (c) The number of moles and the mass of magnesium carbonate, \(\mathrm{MgCO}_{3}\), required to produce \(283 \mathrm{g}\) of carbon dioxide. (MgO is the other product.) (d) The number of moles and the mass of water formed by the combustion of \(20.0 \mathrm{kg}\) of acetylene, \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{2}\), in an excess of oxygen. (e) The number of moles and the mass of barium peroxide, \(\mathrm{BaO}_{2}\), needed to produce \(2.500 \mathrm{kg}\) of barium oxide, \(\mathrm{BaO}\) \(\left(\mathrm{O}_{2}\right.\) is the other product.)

I_ \(_{2}\) is produced by the reaction of 0.4235 mol of \(\mathrm{CuCl}_{2}\) according to the following equation: \(2 \mathrm{CuCl}_{2}+4 \mathrm{KI} \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{CuI}+4 \mathrm{KCl}+\mathrm{I}_{2}\) (a) How many molecules of I \(_{2}\) are produced? (b) What mass of I \(_{2}\) is produced?

Write balanced chemical equations for the reactions used to prepare each of the following compounds from the given starting material(s). In some cases, additional reactants may be required. (a) solid ammonium nitrate from gaseous molecular nitrogen via a two-step process (first reduce the nitrogen to ammonia, then neutralize the ammonia with an appropriate acid) (b) gaseous hydrogen bromide from liquid molecular bromine via a one-step redox reaction (c) gaseous \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{S}\) from solid \(\mathrm{Zn}\) and \(\mathrm{S}\) via a two-step process (first a redox reaction between the starting materials, then reaction of the product with a strong acid)
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