How many grams of sodium carbonate are present after the reaction is complete?

Question

Solutions of sodium carbonate and silver nitrate react to form solid silver carbonate and a solution of sodium nitrate. A solution containing 3.80 gg of sodium carbonate is mixed with one containing 5.43 of silver nitrate. How many grams of sodium carbonate are present after the reaction is complete?

Answer 1

Na2CO3(aq) + 2AgNO3(aq) <----> Ag2CO3(s) + 2NaNO3(aq) .

First you should recognize this is a limiting reagant problem whereby differing amounts of two different reactants in a chemical equation / reaction are given, and one gets used up first, limiting the amount of product that can form. This reactant may be determined by comparing the moles of both reactants and determining which is lowest. Then, use that limiting reagent for your calculations because that limits how much product can possibly be created.

You must convert each given grams to mols: For ex.,

3.80g Na2CO3 x 1molNa2CO3/130gNa2CO3 = .0292 mol Na2CO3