Question

this passage describes a chemical reaction. read the passage. then, answer the question below.

sodium lauryl sulfate (nac₁₂h₂₅so₄), or sls, is a common ingredient in shampoos, body washes, and other hygiene products. sls is added to these products to make them foam, or lather, when people use them. chemical factories can make sls by combining lauryl alcohol (c₁₂h₂₆o) with sulfur trioxide (so₃) and soda ash (na₂co₃). this combination forms sodium bicarbonate (nahco₃) and sls.

in the chemical reaction described in the passage, which of the following are reactants?
select all that apply.

lauryl alcohol (c₁₂h₂₆o)

sodium lauryl sulfate (nac₁₂h₂₅so₄)

soda ash (na₂co₃)

sulfur trioxide (so₃)

Explanation:

In a chemical reaction, reactants are the substances that are combined to form products. The passage states that chemical factories make SLS by combining lauryl alcohol ($\ce{C_{12}H_{26}O}$), sulfur trioxide ($\ce{SO_3}$), and soda ash ($\ce{Na_2CO_3}$). Sodium lauryl sulfate ($\ce{NaC_{12}H_{25}SO_4}$) is the product (SLS) of this reaction, not a reactant. So the reactants are lauryl alcohol, soda ash, and sulfur trioxide.

Answer:

• lauryl alcohol ($\ce{C_{12}H_{26}O}$)
• soda ash ($\ce{Na_2CO_3}$)
• sulfur trioxide ($\ce{SO_3}$)