What is borax bead mixture ?

Answer

### Step-by-Step Solution for the Question: What is Borax Bead Mixture?

1. **Definition of Borax**:
- Borax is a naturally occurring mineral and a compound of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. Its chemical formula is Na2B4O7·10H2O.

2. **Heating Borax**:
- When borax is heated, it undergoes a thermal decomposition reaction. The heat causes it to lose water and decompose into other compounds.

3. **Formation of Products**:
- Upon heating, borax decomposes to form two main products:
- **Boric Anhydride (B2O3)**: This is a compound that consists of boron and oxygen.
- **Sodium Metaborate (NaBO2)**: This is a sodium salt of boric acid.

4. **Balanced Chemical Equation**:
- The balanced equation for the decomposition of borax can be represented as:
\[ \text{Na}_2\text{B}_4\text{O}_7 \rightarrow 2 \text{NaBO}_2 + \text{B}_2\text{O}_3 \]
- This shows that one mole of borax produces two moles of sodium metaborate and one mole of boric anhydride.

5. **Conclusion**:
- The mixture of boric anhydride and sodium metaborate formed upon heating borax is referred to as the "borax bead mixture". This mixture is used in various applications, including qualitative analysis in chemistry.