Answer:
The missing coefficient is 2
Neutralization
Explanation:
Mg(OH)₂ + H₂SO₄ ⟶ MgSO₄ + _____H₂O
Let us use alphabets a,b, c and d to represent the coefficients of the compounds in the given equation:
aMg(OH)₂ + bH₂SO₄ ⟶ cMgSO₄ + ___d__H₂O
In balancing chemical equations, we must bear in mind that they must obey the law of conservation of mass. We can use two approach in balancing a reaction.
We can inspect the individual atoms to check if they are balanced. We can also do this by using a simple mathematical method.
For the given reaction:
aMg(OH)₂ + bH₂SO₄ ⟶ cMgSO₄ + ___d__H₂O
For Mg:
a = c (i)
For O:
2a + 4b = 4c + d (ii)
For H:
2a + 2b = 2d (iii)
For S:
b = c (iv)
If a = 1, then c = 1, b = 1
we can then use either equation (ii) or (iii) to solve for the unknown "d":
2a + 4b = 4c + d
Making the d the subject of the equation:
d = 2a + 4b - 4c
d = 2(1) + 4(1) - 4(1)
d = 2 + 4 - 4
d = 2
The missing coefficient is 2 and the complete equation is given as:
Mg(OH)₂ + H₂SO₄ ⟶ MgSO₄ + 2H₂O
The reaction is a neutralization process. In neutralization, an acid and a base react together to produce salt and water. As we can see, Mg(OH)₂ combines with H₂SO₄ to produce salt and water.
