BaCl2 + Na2SO4 -> BaSO4 + 2NaCl FURTHER QUESTION?

Question

Thank you for all the replies. What I am trying to ask is, as 2NaCl is a product compound can it aslo be written as Na2Cl2? As this must be stating the same thing? I know salt is NaCl but how would I know not to write the above as Na2Cl2? This is what's confusing me!

Answer 1

You need to write it as 2NaCl or there will be total confusion;
If you write the 2NaCl as Na2Cl2 it would imply (at least to a chemist) a compound where 2 sodiums react with 2 chlorines to form a distinct material different than salt (NaCl).

Answer 2

When you write 2 NaCl in a chemical equation, you are stating that you are generating two mol of product from the reacting thinguis. Therefore, 2 NaCl do not mean at all Na2Cl2. It means 2 NaCl, which is, for each mol of reactant (say, 1 mol of BaCl2) you will end up with 2 mol of NaCl2.

The situation is that no teacher get it wright. NaCl is an ionic compound, so it is made of particles that have to match their natural charge, so that Nature can be neutral. Since Na forms cations Na(+1) and Cl forma anions Cl(-1), a neutral group of Na and Cl have to bear the MINIMUM FORMULAE NaCl. Which means, to every (+) thing there will be a (-) thing in the crystal, to make the thing neutral (you may even dissolve the crystal, or to heat it so much that it will became vapour, and the pair +/- will still be there). Therefore, the minimum you can say about NaCl is that there is a proportion of one Na to every Cl you can find.

This idea can be put forward to every ionic substance you may think of. For instance, sodium carbonate is Na2CO3. For each CO3(2-) there will allways be two Na (+). Neutrality is the must for Nature, and she loves it.

It is important, therefore that you do not use the indexes of the reactions to imply things about their inner on doings. You could be wright in writting NaCl, Na2Cl2, Na3Cl3, but everything is the same thing, isn´t? The ratios Na/Cl are allways 1:1. But, in writting the chemical equation, the term 2 NaCl means that you are using, or producing (if it is the product) TWO MOL of NaCl.

If you put it in mathematical therms, 1 mol Na2Cl2 will mean the same number of particles (and mass) of 2 mol NaCl.But the chemical concepts will be all wrong. The proportion for an ionic solid of composition NaCl is 1:1. This concept cannot be missed.

Answer 3

2NaCl is not the same as Na2Cl2.

First, since Na has +1 charge while Cl has -1 charge, together, they'll be NaCl (and never Na2Cl2). The subscripts in nomenclatures of compouds pertains to the charges when "crisscrossed", while the number to the left of a compound was accounted for because of balancing of the equation.

Answer 4

Na only requires to lose one more electron to obtain a stable structure and Cl only requires to gain one electron to obtain a stable structure. So we can see that we only need one Na and one Cl ion to form a NaCl molecule. If we have 2NA and 2Cl ions, then we will form 2 NaCl molecules. We do not form Na2Cl2.

Answer 5

u cannot write 2NaCl as Na2Cl2 because valency of sodium is one i.e Na+ and Cl- if for egs: calcium sulphate i.e CaSO4 this u can write as Ca2(SO4)2 BCOZ valency of calcium is two and sulphate is two.

Answer 6

can be answered on the basis of lattice energy and born haber cycle and thermodynamics