Chapter 11, Problem 8STP

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation: The type of chemical reaction that occurs on heating ammonium carbonate to produce water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide should be identified.

Concept Introduction: A process of conversion of one or more substances, said to be reactants to different substance(s), said to be products is known as a chemical reaction.

Answer to Problem 8STP

Decomposition reaction.

Explanation of Solution

A skeleton equation is defined as a chemical equation that uses the formulas of the reactants and products involved in a chemical reaction. It does not indicate the amounts of the reactants and products. For this equation, an arrow is used to differentiate reactants and products, the reactants are written on the left side of the arrow whereas products are written on the right side of the arrow.

The formula of the reactant and the physical state of each substance involved in the reaction of heating ammonium carbonate to produce water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide is:

Ammonium carbonate, ${\left({\text{NH}}_{\text{4}}\right)}_{\text{2}}{\text{CO}}_{\text{3}}\text{(s)}$

(s) indicates the solid state.

The formula of the products and the physical states of each substance involved in the reaction of heating ammonium carbonate to produce water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide is:

Ammonia, ${\text{NH}}_3\text{(g)}$

(g) indicates the gaseous state.

Water, ${\text{H}}_2\text{O(l)}$

(l) represents the liquid state.

Carbon dioxide, ${\text{CO}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}$

The reactants are separated from the products with an arrow and two reactants and products are separated using the plus sign. Thus, the skeleton equation for a chemical reaction, limewater and carbon dioxide:

  ${\left({\text{NH}}_{\text{4}}\right)}_{\text{2}}{\text{CO}}_{\text{3}}\text{(s) }\to {\text{ NH}}_3{\text{(g) + H}}_2{\text{O(l) + CO}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}$

The complete balanced reaction is:

  ${\left({\text{NH}}_{\text{4}}\right)}_{\text{2}}{\text{CO}}_{\text{3}}\text{(s) }\to {\text{ 2NH}}_3{\text{(g) + H}}_2{\text{O(l) + CO}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}$

From the balanced reaction, it can be observed that on heating ammonium carbonate it decomposes or break down into three simpler compounds thus, it can be classified as a decomposition reaction as a single compound breaks down into three simpler products in this reaction.