Calling All chemistry nuts!

[WaterPond]

Can you balance this equation for me. It is the only thing holding me back from getting a major assignment done. I have been working at it for HOURS and have written pages out just trying to balance it. Please help.

Ca(HCO3)2 --> CaC2 + H2O

 

[Devilishturtles]

Taking a stab Jason...but I don't think that equation is possible, and that's why you can't solve it...

It doesn't make any sense. I don't see how calcium carbide can be produced from a bicarbonate and not give off a carbonate or OH group... Not H2O.

If you mixed CaC2 and H2O you'd get something like acetylene from it and some calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)

Are you sure you copied it here correctly?

 

[helicopter]

Doesn't look its going to balance, I think you are missing some O2 on the right, otherwise it is not possible to balance this equation. Sorry...

 

[WaterPond]

darn. See, this is the equation my science teacher gave me. We had to test antacids to see which neutralizes acid the best. Tums was the best out of the ones i tested. He said they will produce water, and a salt. But we dont have to include the acid?!?

I think my science teacher is on crack, hes so weird, and hes wrong most of the time. I hope his mistake will not cost me tooo many marks.

Thanks guys.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Okay, I'm taking a stab Jason..again.

Ca(HCO3)2 = CaCO3 + H2O + CO2

CaCO3 is your antacid effect, H2O is the water and CO2 is the effect of the Bicarbonate.

 

[JDogg]

Can you balance this equation for me. It is the only thing holding me back from getting a major assignment done. I have been working at it for HOURS and have written pages out just trying to balance it. Please help.

Ca(HCO3)2 --> CaC2 + H2O

assuming you wrote the eqution correctly both my wife and I (not chemists, but Science teachers with a year and a half of College Chemistry each) can not figure out how to balance it.... something has to be missing :?

 

[QTOFFER]

Tums contains calcium carbonate (CaCO3), NOT calcium bicarbonate.
http://www.tums.com/faqs_contents.asp

The balanced reaction for the neutralization of acid by calcium carbonate is:
CaCO3 + 2HCl(aq) --> CaCl2(aq) + CO2 + H2O

 

[WaterPond]

you've got to be kidding me! lol

I'll have to have a chat with my science teacher. Thanks so much.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I was close atleast, lol.

QTOFFER to the rescue!

 

[JDogg]

you've got to be kidding me! lol

I'll have to have a chat with my science teacher. Thanks so much.

don't be too hard on the guy, we science teachers are human too and mistakes are made

 

[QTOFFER]

What threw me for a loop in the original equation was the CaC2! It was obviously supposed to be CaCl2.

Yeah, don't be too hard on your science teacher. The workbooks that they use to plan classes are usually loaded with mistakes - it's frustrating for the teachers and the students.

 

[newfound77951]

I just read this thread and the first thing I thought was that it was supposed to be CaCl2, I don't think CaC2 would be a stable compound and the answer requiring a salt implies that there was some ionic molecule in there.

Nice catch QTOFFER! WaterPond, you'll look like a chemistry whiz in class now!