This question is about sodium - AQA - GCSE Chemistry Combined Science - Question 6 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 6
This question is about sodium.
Sodium reacts with chlorine.
What is the balanced equation for the reaction?
Tick (✓) one box.
Na + Cl → NaCl
Na + Cl₂ → NaCl₂
2 ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:This question is about sodium - AQA - GCSE Chemistry Combined Science - Question 6 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
What is the balanced equation for the reaction?
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Answer
The balanced equation for the reaction between sodium and chlorine is:
2Na+Cl2→2NaCl
Step 2
Before reaction:
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Before the reaction, sodium is observed as a silver solid or liquid metal. Chlorine appears as a green gas.
Step 3
During reaction:
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During the reaction, a yellow flame may be noted, characterized by white smoke as sodium reacts vigorously with chlorine.
Step 4
After reaction:
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After the reaction, sodium chloride will typically appear as a white solid or powder.
Step 5
Explain why sodium is less reactive than potassium.
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Answer
Sodium is less reactive than potassium because:
Sodium has fewer energy levels (shells).
The outer electron in sodium is closer to the nucleus, making it less easily removed compared to potassium.
Additionally, sodium's outer electron is less shielded, resulting in a greater attraction to the nucleus.
Step 6
Compare the structure and bonding in sodium chloride and hydrogen chloride.
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Sodium chloride is characterized by ionic bonding, where sodium transfers electrons to chlorine, forming ions (Na⁺ and Cl⁻) that create a giant ionic structure. In contrast, hydrogen chloride features covalent bonding, where two non-metals share electrons, resulting in discrete molecules. Thus, sodium chloride has strong electrostatic forces between ions, while hydrogen chloride has weaker intermolecular forces between molecules.
