Question

why does the experiment not determine the activation energy for the reaction of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate? ( Provide at least two reasons.)

Answer 1

Balanced reaction between citric acid (C₆H₈O₇) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃)

C₆H₈O₇+ 3NaHCO₃-----> Na₃C₆H₅O₇+3H₂O+3H₂O+ 3CO₂

Sodium carbonate will turn purple and form a precipitate. when citric acid added to the mixture will turn yellow or pink and bubble as the precipitate disappear.

when two reactant molecule effectively struck to each other, then the reaction proceeds to forward.

The chemical reaction depends on:

(a) Surface area.

(b) The concentration of reactant

(c) Temperature

The activation energy is temperature dependent.

(1)There are bubbling, color change and formation of precipitation.

(2) the disappearance of precipitate shows that the amount of energy required to break bonds is about to same as the amount of energy released in the formation of the bond.Temperature Change during the reaction is very small.