10/5/2008

Chapter 3
Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry
• Stoichiometry – Greek roots of two
words: “measure elements”

• Study of mass relations in chemistry

• Remember
– Law of constant composition
– Law of conservation of mass
– Law of multiple proportions

Chemical Equations
Chemical equation - An
abbreviated way to describe a
chemical reaction.

reactant + reactant  product(s)

The same number of atoms of a

given element on both sides.

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How to make water?

H2 + O2  H2O
• Describe each state of reactant and
product.

H2 (g) + O2 (g)  H2O (l)

• Balance the equation.
2H2 (g) + O2 (g)  2H2O (l)

Coefficient vs Subscript
• Coefficients give the number of complete
molecules in a reaction (amount). Subscripts
denotes the molecular formula of each
reactant or product molecule

Ex. H2O  1 H2O molecule  2H, 1O

• Crystals of sodium hydroxide (lye) react

with carbon dioxide of the air to form a
white powder, sodium carbonate, and a
colorless liquid, water. Write a balanced
equation for this chemical reaction.
2H2O  2 H2O molecules  4H, 2O

Balancing Equations
• Launching a spacecraft:
N2H4 + N2O4  N2 + H2O

1. Write physical state of each reactant and

product:
- solid (s), liquid (l), gas (g), ion or molecule in
water (aq)
- if we add heat to the reaction we place a over
the arrow

2. Balance the equation with coefficients using

the lowest whole number possible.

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Reaction Types
• We can classify reactions in order
to help us write equations

– Combination Reactions

– Decomposition Reactions

– Combustion Reactions

Combination Reaction
• Definition – Reaction in which two
or more substances react to form
one product
A+ B  C

• Examples:
N2 (g) + 3 H2 (g) 2 NH3 (g)
C3H6 (g) + Br2 (l) C3H6Br2 (l)
2 Mg (s) + O2 (g) 2 MgO (s)

Decomposition Reaction
• Definition – Reaction in which one
substance breaks down into two or
more substances
CA+B
• Examples:
CaCO3 (s) CaO (s) + CO2 (g)
2 KClO3 (s) 2 KCl (s) + O2 (g)
2 NaN3 (s) 2 Na (s) + 3 N2 (g)

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Combustion Reaction
• Definition - Rapid reaction that produces a
flame, usually have hydrocarbons that
react with oxygen in the air
• Produces CO2 and H2O

• Complete combustion produces CO2.

• Incomplete combustion produces CO.

• Examples:
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)
C3H8 (g) + 5 O2 (g) 3 CO2 (g) + 4 H2O (g)

Formula Weight
• Coefficients and subscripts indicate precise
quantities.

CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)

• Combustion of methane requires 2 molecules of

oxygen and yields 1 molecule of carbon dioxide
and 2 molecules of water.

• We use formula weights to find actual

measurements for this reaction

Formula Weight
• Sum of the atomic weights for the
atoms in a chemical formula

• If the chemical formula is a single

element, the FW = atomic weight

• If the chemical formula is that of a

molecule, the FW = molecular weight

• For ionic compounds, we use the term

formula weight.

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Percent Composition
• Definition - the percent by mass
contributed by each element in the
substance

(number of atoms)(atomic weight)

% element = x 100
(FW of the compound)

The Mole

• Mole – special unit for dealing with

amounts of atoms and molecules
– Mole (mol) – 6.022 x1023 atoms in a
mole
– Avogadro’s number 6.022 x1023

• Oct. 23, is Mole Day, the day we

celebrate Avogadro's number, 6.02 x
1023.

Mole Expressions
• 1 mol H atoms = 6.022 x 1023 H atoms

• 1 mol H2 atoms = 6.022 x 1023 H2 atoms

• 1 mol electrons = 6.022 x 1023 electrons

• 1 mol pennies = 6.022 x 1023 pennies

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Molar Mass
• By definition, these are the mass of 1
mol of a substance (i.e., g/mol)

– The molar mass of an element is the mass

number for the element that we find on the
periodic table

– The formula weight (in amu’s) will be the

same number as the molar mass (in g/mol)

Mole Conversions
• Use Avogadro’s number and molar masses
• g  moles  atoms

Empirical Formulas
• Definition – the lowest whole number ratio
possible which gives the relative number of
atoms of each element it contains
• Also called simplest formula

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Deriving Molecular Formulas

• The subscripts in the molecular
formula of a substance are always
a whole-number multiple of the
corresponding subscripts in its
empirical formula.

Molecular weight
Whole # multiple =
Empirical Formula weight

Combustion Analysis
• We observe the empirical formulas for
compounds through experiments

• From combustion reactions, carbon converts

to CO2, hydrogen converts to H2O

Combustion analysis

• Compounds containing C, H and O are

routinely analyzed through combustion in a
chamber like this

– C is determined from the mass of CO2 produced

– H is determined from the mass of H2O produced
– O is determined by difference after the C and H
have been determined

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Quantatitive Stoichiometry
• Find quantities of moles from
coefficients of balanced chemical
reaction equations
– Use mole ratios from balanced chemical
equations

2H2 (g) + O2 (g)  2H2O (l)

2 mol H2 , 1 mol O2 , 2 mol H2O

2NA molecules H2 , 1NA molecules O2 ,

2NA molecules H2O

Conversions

Limiting Reactants
• Definition – least abundant reactant based
on the equation for a reaction that limits
the maximum product formed

• Strategy:
– Find amount of product formed if first reactant
is completely consumed

– Find amount of product formed if second

reactant is completely consumed

– Choose the smaller of the two amounts of

product formed, reactant that yields smallest
product is the limiting reactant

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Reactant Types

• Which is limiting reactant?

• Which is excess reactant?

Theoretical Yield
• The theoretical yield is the amount of
product that can be made
– In other words it’s the amount of product
possible as calculated through the stoichiometry
problem

• This is different from the actual yield,

the amount one actually produces and
measures

Percent Yield
• Also called theoretical yield

Actual Yield
Percent Yield = x 100
Theoretical Yield