What volume of \(0.08892 M\) HNO \(_{3}\) is required to react completely with 0.2352 g of potassium hydrogen phosphate? \(2 \mathrm{HNO}_{3}(a q)+\mathrm{K}_{2} \mathrm{HPO}_{4}(a q) \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{PO}_{4}(a q)+2 \mathrm{KNO}_{3}(a q)\)

At the heart of chemistry lie chemical reaction calculations, which are vital for understanding how substances interact and transform. These calculations allow us to predict the amounts of reactants needed to produce a given quantity of product or to determine the quantity of product formed from certain reactants. For instance, in our exercise, we needed to determine what volume of nitric acid (HNO3) would react with a given mass of potassium hydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4).

To perform these calculations, a balanced chemical equation is essential as it provides the ratio of reactants to products, known as the stoichiometry of the reaction. This knowledge serves as a map, guiding us from the amount of one substance to the expected amount of another.

Molar mass, the bridge between the microscopic world of atoms and the macroscopic world we can measure, is the weight of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). This seemingly simple concept is crucial in moving from the mass of a substance to the amount in moles, which is the key to all stoichiometric calculations.

In our exercise, the molar mass of potassium hydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4) allowed us to convert the given mass (0.2352 g) into moles. It's like knowing the price per pound to calculate how much several apples will cost; molar mass tells us the 'price' per mole.

Molarity, marked by the symbol M, reflects the concentration of a solution, providing the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. It's an invaluable figure when preparing or working with chemical solutions because it helps us understand the strength of the solution in terms of the amount of substance it contains.

In our example, we worked with a 0.08892 M solution of HNO3. Knowing the molarity enabled us to find the volume of this solution needed to obtain the moles of HNO3 necessary for the reaction. Molarity is akin to a recipe, telling us how much of each ingredient we need to mix to get the desired taste (or in this case, reaction).

Balanced chemical equations are the bedrock of stoichiometry. An equation is balanced when the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the reaction. This balance reflects the conservation of mass principle: atoms are neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. They're simply rearranged.

A balanced chemical equation is like a well-structured musical score, where each note (atom) has its place, ensuring harmony (balance). It tells us how many parts of each reactant interact and how many parts of each product form. For our exercise, the balanced equation dictated the exact ratio of reactants to products, which is essential to calculate how much HNO3 was required for the given amount of K2HPO4.