How to Calculate the Number of Moles in a Chemical Reaction

Question:

If 2.5 moles of sodium react with excess chlorine gas to produce sodium chloride, how many moles of sodium chloride will be produced?

Answer:

To calculate the number of moles of sodium chloride produced when 2.5 moles of sodium react with excess chlorine gas, you need to consider the balanced chemical equation for the reaction.

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) to produce sodium chloride (NaCl) is:

2 Na + Cl₂ → 2 NaCl

From the balanced equation, we can see that 2 moles of sodium react with 1 mole of chlorine to produce 2 moles of sodium chloride.

Given that we have 2.5 moles of sodium, we can set up a proportion to calculate the number of moles of sodium chloride produced:

2.5 moles Na / 2 moles Na = x moles NaCl / 2 moles NaCl

Solving for x, we get x = 2.5 moles NaCl

Therefore, 2.5 moles of sodium will react with excess chlorine gas to produce 2.5 moles of sodium chloride.