Question

n Part B, suppose the tablet was mostly dissolved when some of your solution splashed out of the beaker as CO2 continued to evolve. How would this affect the perceived mass of CO2? Would your final calculated mass of sodium bicarbonate in the tablet be artificially high or artificially low as a result of this splashing? Choose one, and explain why.

Answer 1

Answer:

The perceived mass of CO2 would not be affected in large quantities because the splash constitutes small particles of water with sodium bicarbonate that is still reacting. The final calculated mass of sodium bicarbonate in the tablet would be artificially low.

Explanation:

Effervescence is a chemical process that involves the reaction of an acid with a carbonate or sodium bicarbonate, releasing carbon dioxide through a liquid. An example is seen in carbonated beverages, in these the gas that escapes from the liquid is carbon dioxide. The bubbles that are seen are produced by the effervescence of the dissolved gas, which by itself is not visible in its dissolved form.