Question

Sodium phosphate reacts with sulfuric acid to form sodium sulfate and phosphoric acid. What is the stoichiometric coefficient for sulfuric acid when the chemical equation is balanced using the lowest whole-number stoichiometric coefficients?.

Answer 1

When sodium phosphate reacts with sulfuric acid, forming sodium sulfate and phosphoric acid, the stoichiometric coefficient for sulfuric acid in the balanced chemical equation is 3.

In every balanced chemical equation, the total number of individual atoms on the reactant side must be equal to the total number of individual atoms on the product side. The stoichiometric coefficient is the number written in front of each reactants and products that tells how many moles of each are needed in the reaction.

The chemical equation for the given reaction is:

$Na_{3} PO_{4}$ + $H_{2} SO_{4}$ = $Na_{2} SO_{4}$ + $H_{3} PO_{4}$

Put the necessary stoichiometric coefficient to balance each element.

Balancing Na:

$2Na_{3} PO_{4}$ + $H_{2} SO_{4}$ = $3Na_{2} SO_{4}$ + $H_{3} PO_{4}$

Balancing P:

$2Na_{3} PO_{4}$ + $H_{2} SO_{4}$ = $3Na_{2} SO_{4}$ + $2H_{3} PO_{4}$

Balancing S:

$2Na_{3} PO_{4}$ + $3H_{2} SO_{4}$ = $3Na_{2} SO_{4}$ + $2H_{3} PO_{4}$

Notice that H and O are already balanced.

Hence, the balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:

$2Na_{3} PO_{4}$ + $3H_{2} SO_{4}$ = $3Na_{2} SO_{4}$ + $2H_{3} PO_{4}$

where 3 is the stoichiometric coefficient of sulfuric acid, $H_{2} SO_{4}$.

Learn more about stoichiometric coefficient here: brainly.com/question/6666875

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