How would mixing Lithium, Sodium Carbonate, Carbon Dioxide, and Water give you oxygen?

Question

I was just wondering this after seeing the episode of Bones when they were trapped in the car. If you could put the chemical equation and why it reacts I would be very grateful because I have been trying to search for the answer on teh internet but haven't found anything?

Answer 1

The reason you haven't found anything on the internet is most likely due to this reaction being implausible.

I didn't see the episode, so I will have to assume that all the reactants were mixed together simultaneously. Lithium is a reactive metal that is solid at room temp. (it will lose electrons ie. ionize rapidly), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is also solid at room temp and will ionize into two sodium and one bicarbonate ions when added to water. Carbon dioxide is a gas at room temp and would dissipate into surroundings, not participating in any reaction.

Lithium + water alone would produce lithium hydroxide and hydrogen gas (which would also dissipate in surroundings), and lithium + sodium carbonate alone would produce sodium solid and lithium carbonate (which would ionize in the water solvent). Reacting all these simultaneously just doesn't seem to evolve oxygen gas no matter what!

Answer 2

Well first we start of with the equation:

Li + Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O -----> O2 + a whole possiblity of random compounds/elements

It produces O2 because Oxygen is Diatomic.
Next we shoudl identify the elements and compounds:
The Elements
-Lithium: Li
The Compunds
-Sodium Cabonate: CO3
-Carbon Dioxide: CO2
-Water: H2O

First of I'm not sure why it would react, but im guessing its TV and stuff are made up there.

But we can try this

My guess is that this is waht the equaiton will look like

2Li + Na2CO3 + 2CO2 + 2H2O -----> Li2CO3 + 2NaCO2 + 2H2 + O2

Answer 3

Sodium hydrogen carbonate = NaHCO3 = "baking soda" Sodium carbonate = Na2CO3 Carbon dioxide = CO2 Water = H2O Sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium bicarbonate) does not form sodium carbonate, water and carbon dioxide. Some reactions are: sodium bicarbonate and sodium hydroxide form sodium carbonate and water NaHCO3 + NaOH -> Na2CO3 + H2O sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid form sodium acetate and water and carbon dioxide NaHCO3 + CH3CO2H -> CH3CO2Na + H2O + CO2 sodium carbonate and twice as much acetic acid forms twice as much sodium acetate and water and carbon dioxide Na2CO3 + 2CH3CO2H -> 2CH3CO2Na + H2O + CO2

Answer 4

It would be because of reactivity series, elements with higher reactivity replace the one with lower


And I think this is how it should go if the chemical reaction was able to take place
2Li + Na2CO3 +CO2 +H2O -> Li2CO3 + 2NA + C2H2O + O2

Answer 5

It won't.