The assay of a soda ash sample was reported as 65.21% Na2CO3?

Question

a) express the carbonate content in terms of percent carbon dioxide

b) express the carbonate content in terms of percent carbonate ion

please help and let me know how you got to the answer... thank you so much !!!! best answer gets 10 points

Answer 1

Percent carbon dioxide and percent carbonate ion are easy to calculate if you know the percentage of carbon dioxide or carbonate ion in Sodium carbonate.

The molecular mass ratio is simple to find.  The molecular mass of Sodium carbonate is 105.99 g/mole.  For Carbon dioxide it is 44.01 g/mole.  For the Carbonate ion (CO3-2) it is 60.01 g/mole.

a) 44.01 g/mole / 105.99 g/mole = 0.4152

0.4152 * 65.21% = 27.08% CO2

b) 60.01 g/mole / 105.99 g/mole = 0.5662

0.5662 * 65.21% = 36.92% (CO3)-2