Maybe someone can help me with my lab report. I basically need to follow a procedure and come up with a chemical equation for the reaction.
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1. Place ammonium carbonate into a test tube and gently heat it over a flame.
2. Remove the test tube from the flame and place a piece of moistened litmus paper in the mouth of the test tube. Identify any odor that is readily apparent.
3. Test for the formation of a gas: Light a wood splint and insert the burning splint halfway down into the test tube.
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I guess the equation is (NH4)2CO3 (s) –> CO2 (g) + H2O (l) + 2NH3 (g). Am I right?
Something else does not add up. The litmus paper turned blue, hinting the presence of a base. What is that base? Did I do something wrong in writing the equation?
Thanks!
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