Lesson 6.2: Controlling the Amount of Products in a Chemical Reaction

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Reactants

• Vinegar is acetic acid (C₂H₄O₂) and water. Acetic acid is made of 2 carbon atoms, 4 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms.
• Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃). Sodium bicarbonate is made of 1 sodium ion, 1 hydrogen atom, 1 carbon atom, and 3 oxygen atoms.

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Products

• One of the products of the vinegar and baking soda reaction is sodium acetate (NaC₂H₃O₂).
• Sodium acetate is made of 1 sodium ion, 2 carbon atoms, 3 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms.
• The other products are water (H₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂).

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Mass is Conserved

• All of the atoms in the reactants are in the products.
• The mass of the reactants and products is the same.

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Controlling Amount of Products Formed

• Adding more of one reactant will make more products as long as there is still enough of the other reactant to react.
• If you add more and more of one reactant the other will eventually run out and no more products will be formed.