Aqueous sulfuric acid (H2SO4) will react with solid sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to produce aqueous sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and liquid water (H2O).

Question

Suppose 18. g of sulfuric acid is mixed with 24.3 g of sodium hydroxide. Calculate the minimum mass of sulfuric acid that could be left over by the chemical reaction. Round your answer to 2

 significant digits.

= ______ g

Answer 1

As in the previous posted question, write the correctly balanced equation for the reaction:

H₂SO₄(aq) + 2NaOH(s) ==> Na₂SO₄(aq) + 2H₂O(l) ... balanced equation

Find the limiting reactant. Divide moles of each reactant by corresponding coefficient in balanced equation and see which is less.

For H₂SO₄: 18. g H2SO4 x 1 mol H₂SO₄/98 g = 0.184 mols (÷1->0.184)

For NaOH: 24.3 g NaOH x 1 mol NaOH / 40. g = 0.608 mols (÷2->0.304)

Since 0184 is less than 0.304, H₂SO₄ is our limiting reactant and moles of H₂SO₄ will dictate the maximum amount of product that can be formed.

The minimum mass of H₂SO₄ that can be left over if the reaction goes to completion would be zero grams. It will run out before the NaOH is used up, and there should be none left over.

If you meant to ask for the minimum mass of NaOH that could be left over, that's another story. You'll have to resubmit the problem in that case.