When aluminum carbonate (Al2(CO3)3) is reacted with hydrochloric acid (HCl), what is the balanced chemical equation for the reaction?

• A. Al2(CO3)3 + 3HCl → AlCl3 + H2O + CO2
• B. Al2(CO3)3 + 3HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2O + 3CO2
• C. Al2(CO3)3 + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2O + 3CO2
• D. Al2(CO3)3 + 6HCl → AlCl3 + 3H2O + 3CO2

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the reactants and products in the chemical reaction. The reactants are aluminum carbonate (Al2(CO3)3) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). The products are aluminum chloride (AlCl3), water (H2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2).
2. Write the unbalanced chemical equation using the chemical formulas of the reactants and products: Al2(CO3)3 + HCl → AlCl3 + H2O + CO2.
3. Balance the aluminum atoms first. There are 2 aluminum atoms in Al2(CO3)3, so you need 2 AlCl3 molecules on the product side: Al2(CO3)3 + HCl → 2AlCl3 + H2O + CO2.
4. Next, balance the chlorine atoms. There are 2 AlCl3 molecules, each containing 3 chlorine atoms, totaling 6 chlorine atoms. Therefore, you need 6 HCl molecules on the reactant side: Al2(CO3)3 + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + H2O + CO2.
5. Finally, balance the remaining atoms. There are 3 carbonate groups in Al2(CO3)3, which produce 3 CO2 molecules and 3 H2O molecules. The balanced equation is: Al2(CO3)3 + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2O + 3CO2.