Re: hcl out of nacl + h2so4 is that all

From: Wilco Oelen (photo_at_woelen.nl)
Date: 01/20/05 

Date: 20 Jan 2005 14:19:41 -0800

wsb wrote:
> HNO3
> do you know a web site in which you type elements / compound and it
> will gives you the reaction output.
>
> Lets say I am mixing HCl + NaOH if I typed that it will tells me the
> output
> which is (i think) H2O + HCl
> thx
>
> wasban

Wasban,

What you ask is not (yet) possible. Of course, one can make a huge
database with all known reactions, but that is not practical. For the
generic case, at the moment the only way to know the outcome of mixing
chemicals is by performing the experiment and analysing the outcome.
Things get even more complicated, because the outcome frequently
depends on concentrations, temperature, relative amounts of the
reactants, etc.

May be, in the future, computers will become so powerful, that one can
perform quantum mechanical computations, which predict the outcome of
real-life reactions under real-life conditions, which means that
systems of millions and millions of atoms need to be taken into account
(reactants and solvent). At the moment the generic case can only be
handled for systems consisting of at most a few thousands of atoms,
with very powerful hardware.

What _is_ possible, is to derive the stoichiometry (= the ratio of
reactants and reaction products) and the relative weights, if the
reactants and products are known. This is simply balancing chemical
equations. The task of balancing equations frequently is trivial, but
not always. With the help of some computer software this can be done
easily. I've developed a Windows-program for balancing reaction
equations. Its working OK, although the user interface still needs some
polishing. If you wish, I can send you a copy. Send an email if you
want this.

Sometimes, equations cannot be balanced unambiguously. In such cases an
infinite set of possible equations is possible. This usually indicates
that two or more different reactions occur simultaneously. A nice
example of such a reaction is the reaction between copper and nitric
acid.

IN: Cu , HNO3
OUT: Cu(2+), NO3(-), H2O, NO, NO2

Balancing this can be done in many ways. The solution-space is
2-dimensional.

Wilco

PS: For contact through email, do not use the address posted here.
Replace the word 'photo' by 'foto'.

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