Thermal decomposition Flashcards
What is thermal decomposition?
Breaking something down using heat
Thermal decomposition of a metal carbonate
metal carbonate → metal oxide + carbon dioxide
Which metal carbonates do not thermally decompose?
Potassium and sodium. Metals more reactive than sodium in Group 1
Why do more reactive metals that form carbonates thermally decompose more slowly?
More reactive metals bond more strongly with their carbonates, making it more difficult to thermally decompose them
Thermal decomposition of metal hydroxide
metal hydroxide → metal oxide + water
Why don’t sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide thermally decompose?
They are stable to heat
Thermal decomposition of metal nitrates less reactive than sodium
metal nitrate → metal oxide + nitrogen dioxide + oxygen
Thermal decomposition of sodium nitrate (Word equation)?
sodium nitrate → sodium nitrite + oxygen
Symbol equation for the thermal decomposition of potassium nitrate?
2KNO3 (s) → 2KNO2 (s) + O2 (g)
Why don’t the nitrates of sodium and potassium decompose in the same way?
They are more reactive; nitrates of the metals below them are unstable to heat
