Question

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) reacts with sulfuric acid (H2S04) yields sodium sulfate (Na2S04) and water according to the following unbalanced equation To balance this equation, we need to find constants (xi, X2, X3, x4) in front of the products and the reactants to get the balanced equation in the form In order to get the values for x1, X2, .., x4, we compare the number of atoms of sodium (Na), oxygen (0), hydrogen (H), and sulfur (S) in the reactants with that in the products giving us the following system of equations. Element System of equations X1 + 4x2-4x3-X4-0 0 X1 + 4X2-4X3 + X4 x1 2x2-2 x4 X2-x3 Rewrite the system in matrix format, find the augmented matrix and reduce the augmented matrix to reduced row echelon form (rref using Gauss-Jordan Elimination to determine the solution of the system Check your answer of part (a) using the rref function in MATLAB. Write out the code (all the code) you typed into the Command Window a. b. c. Show that matrix A is singular by obtaining A1 using row reduction to reduce [AII reduced row echelon form (rref to show that A can never be reduced to I. Write down the warning that you get in MATLAB when using the inv function to find the inverse

Answer 1

The balanced equation can be simple written as -

2 NaOH + H₂So₄ = Na₂So₄ + 2 H₂O

where x1 = 2, x2 = 1, x3 = 1, and x4 = 2

This reaction is a type of neutralization reaction in which the product is always a salt and water. It takes place between acid and base .