Why is sodium carbonate written as Na2CO3?

Why is sodium carbonate written as Na2CO3?

Hint: In sodium carbonate (other names are washing soda, soda ash or soda crystals), the charge/valency on the sodium cation is +1, the charge/valency on the carbonate anion is -2. The chemical formula of sodium carbonate is \[N{{a}_{2}}(C{{O}_{3}})\]. Therefore, the correct option is A.

What does the subscript 2 represent?

The subscript “2” means that two atoms of the element hydrogen have joined together to form a molecule. A subscript is only used when more than one atom is being represented, that is a subscript of “1” will never be seen in a chemical formula.

Where are the subscripts found?

For atoms that have two or more of a specific type of atom present, a subscript is written after the symbol for that atom. Polyatomic ions in chemical formulas are enclosed in parentheses followed by a subscript if more than one of the same type of polyatomic ion exist.

What is the molecular formula of Na 2 CO 3?

Sodium carbonate

PubChem CID 10340
Molecular Formula Na2CO3 or CNa2O3
Synonyms SODIUM CARBONATE 497-19-8 Disodium carbonate Carbonic acid disodium salt Soda Ash More…
Molecular Weight 105.988
Parent Compound CID 767 (Carbonic acid)

Where is sodium carbonate found?

It is found in large natural deposits and is mined in Wyoming; it is also recovered (with other chemicals) from lake brines in California. The principal uses of sodium carbonate are in the manufacture of glass and the production of chemicals.

What does the 2 in 2 CO represent?

A molecule of the compound carbon dioxide consists of one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen, so carbon dioxide is represented by the chemical formula CO2.

What is the small 2 in CO2 called?

The compound name tells us that there is one carbon atom bonded to two oxygen atoms. The prefix ”di” on the word ”dioxide” stands for two, helping us to remember that there are two oxygen atoms. In the body, carbon dioxide is a waste product from metabolism, so we breathe it out.

Where does a subscript that indicates the number of atoms appear?

(In rare cases, one capital letter and two lowercase letters may be used.) The letter or letters that represent an element are called its atomic symbol. The numbers appearing as subscripts in the chemical formula indicate the number of atoms of the element immediately before the subscript.

How do you find the subscript of a compound?

To determine the correct subscripts in a chemical formula, you have to solve how many atoms you need to balance the charge. For example if I had the compound Calcium Fluoride I would look at the periodic table and see that Calcium’s ionic formula is Ca2+ .