Problem 63 - Chemistry

Question

Consider the combustion of carbon monoxide (CO) in oxygen gas: $$2 \mathrm{CO}(g)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{CO}_{2}(g)$$Starting with 3.60 moles of \(\mathrm{CO}\), calculate the number of moles of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) produced if there is enough oxygen gas to react with all of the CO.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

If there is enough oxygen gas to react with all of the carbon monoxide, 3.60 moles of CO2 would be produced from the reaction given.

Step 1: Understanding the Balanced Chemical Equation

The balanced chemical equation is \(2 CO(g) + O_{2}(g) \rightarrow 2 CO_{2}(g)\). This indicates that two moles of carbon monoxide (CO) reacts with one mole of oxygen (O2) to produce two moles of carbon dioxide (CO2). Indeed, the coefficients in front of the reactants and products all represent the number of moles involved in the chemical reaction.

Step 2: Applying Stoichiometry

Applying the principle of stoichiometry, the stoichiometric ratio of CO to CO2 is 2:2 or 1:1, meaning that one mole of CO will produce one mole of CO2.

Step 3: Calculating Moles of CO2 Produced

Given that the stoichiometric ratio of CO to CO2 is 1:1 and that there are 3.60 moles of CO available, the number of moles of CO2 produced will also be 3.60 moles, assuming there is enough oxygen present to react with all CO.

Key Concepts

Balanced Chemical Equation

In any chemical reaction, a balanced chemical equation is crucial to understand the transformation of reactants into products. For the combustion of carbon monoxide (CO) in oxygen gas, the equation is written as: \[2 \text{CO}(g) + \text{O}_{2}(g) \rightarrow 2 \text{CO}_{2}(g)\]This equation reveals two main things:

• The reactants on the left — 2 moles of CO and 1 mole of \( \text{O}_{2}\) — combine to form the product on the right — 2 moles of \( \text{CO}_{2}\).
• Each molecule or mole of reacting substance corresponds with exact proportions to the others according to these coefficients.

Without balancing, an equation would not adequately represent the conservation of mass, where the number of atoms for each element should be equal on both sides of the equation. Balancing helps us ensure that the atoms in the reactants rearrange, but neither appear nor disappear when forming products.

Mole Calculation

Mole calculation involves determining how many moles of reactants or products are involved in a chemical reaction. In our example, we start with 3.60 moles of CO. Thanks to the balanced equation, we can deduce the relationship between CO and the product, CO2.

Stoichiometric ratio

Here, the stoichiometric ratio of CO to CO2 is 2:2 or simply 1:1. This ratio tells us about proportional amounts of substances involved. For every 1 mole of CO, it will create 1 mole of CO2.

Calculating Moles of CO2

• We have 3.60 moles of CO reacting.
• Using the stoichiometric ratio of 1:1, we can directly translate this to 3.60 moles of CO2.

This process exemplifies the principle of stoichiometry, which lets us calculate how much of each substance is needed or produced in a reaction. Understanding these relationships allows chemists to predict outcomes of reactions quantitatively.

Chemical Reactions

Chemical reactions are processes where substances, known as reactants, are transformed into different substances called products. In the combustion reaction of carbon monoxide, the reactants are CO and oxygen (\(\mathrm{O}_{2}\)), and the product is carbon dioxide (\(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\)).

• Combustion is a specific type of chemical reaction that typically involves oxygen and produces heat and light.
• During this reaction, chemical bonds in the reactants are broken and new bonds are formed to produce the products.

Identifying Reaction Types

Recognizing different types of reactions such as combustion is key to understanding the reaction process. Every chemical reaction follows specific laws:

• Conservation of Mass: Matter is neither created nor destroyed, meaning the mass of the reactants equals the mass of the products.
• Energy Changes: Energy is absorbed or released during most chemical reactions. Combustion reactions typically release energy.

Understanding these principles helps us grasp the broader picture of how chemical reactions occur and how substances interact on a molecular level.