When carbon dioxide is dissolved in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, the mixture reacts to give aqueous sodium carbonate and liquid water. The correct balanced equation for this reaction is:

Correct option is B

Correct Answer: (B) CO₂ (aq) + 2NaOH (aq) → Na₂CO₃ (aq) + H₂O (l)

When carbon dioxide (CO₂) dissolves in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), it reacts to form sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) and water (H₂O). This reaction is a typical acid-base reaction, where CO₂ acts as an acid, and NaOH acts as the base.

The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

CO2(aq)+2NaOH(aq)→Na2CO3(aq)+H2O(l)\text{CO}_2 (aq) + 2\text{NaOH} (aq) \rightarrow \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 (aq) + H_2O (l)CO2​(aq)+2NaOH(aq)→Na2​CO3​(aq)+H2​O(l)

In this equation, one mole of CO₂ reacts with two moles of NaOH to produce one mole of sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) and one mole of water.

• Sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) is often called washing soda. It is used to soften water, in cleaning products, and in the glass-making industry.
• The reaction of CO₂ with NaOH also forms sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) when there is insufficient NaOH present, leading to the formation of NaHCO₃ instead of Na₂CO₃.
• This reaction is a key part of the Solvay process, which is used in the industrial production of sodium carbonate.