3.

091: Recitation (09/08)

Main concepts:
Balancing reactions (conservation of mass)
Converting between mass and moles
Limiting reagents

1. Balance the following chemical reactions:

a. ___𝑁2 𝑂3 + ___𝐻2 𝑂 → ___𝐻𝑁𝑂2

b. ___𝐴𝑙 + ___𝑂2 → ___𝐴𝑙2 𝑂3

c. ___𝐻𝐶𝑙𝑂4 + ___𝑃4 𝑂10 → ___𝐻3 𝑃𝑂4 + ___𝐶𝑙2 𝑂7

d. ___𝐹𝑒𝑆 + ___𝑂2 → ___𝐹𝑒2 𝑂3 + ___𝑆𝑂2

a. 𝑁2 𝑂3 + 𝐻2 𝑂 → 2 𝐻𝑁𝑂2
b. 4𝐴𝑙 + 3𝑂2 → 2𝐴𝑙2 𝑂3
c. 12𝐻𝐶𝑙𝑂4 + 𝑃4 𝑂10 → 4𝐻3 𝑃𝑂4 + 6𝐶𝑙2 𝑂7
d. 4𝐹𝑒𝑆 + 7𝑂2 → 2𝐹𝑒2 𝑂3 + 4𝑆𝑂2
2. The Hall-Heroult process for making aluminum involves dissolving aluminum oxide (alumina) in a cryolite (Na3AlF6)
electrolyte at high temperatures (~950°C). A low voltage is then applied between carbon electrodes to produce aluminum,
according to the following reaction:

___𝐴𝑙2 𝑂3 (𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑡) + ___𝐶(𝑠) → ___𝐴𝑙(𝑙) + ___𝐶𝑂2 (𝑔)

You are instructed to use 2.00 * 104 g of C anodes to react with 1.00 *105 g of Al2O3.

a. Balance the reaction.

2𝐴𝑙2 𝑂3 (𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑡) + 3𝐶(𝑠) → 4𝐴𝑙(𝑙) + 3𝐶𝑂2 (𝑔)
b. Which substance is the limiting reagent?
Molar mass Al: 26.98 g/mol, O: 16.00 g/mol. Al2O3 = 101.96 g/mol
1.00 *105 g/(101.96 g/mol) of Al2O3 is 981 mol of Al2O3
Molar mass of C: 12.01 g/mol
20 kg of C is 1.67 *103 mol of C
To react 981 mol of Al2O3 we need 3/2*981 mol (=1470 mol) of C. We
have more than that, so Al2O3 is the limiting reagent.

c. What is the yield of the reaction (in kg)?

981 molAl2O3 * 4molAl/2molAl2O3 = 1962 molAl * 28.98 g/molAl = 52.9 kg of
Al

d. Plot the yield as a function of increasing Al2O3 available for reaction,

assuming we have 2.00 * 104 g of C.
1.67 *103 molC * 2molAl2O3/3molC * 101.96 g/molAl2O3 = 114 kg Al2O3
1.67 *103 molC * 4molAl/3molC * 26.98 g/molAl = 60.0 kg Al

The linearly increasing region on this curve is where Al2O3 is the limiting reagent. It is constant once C is the limiting reagent
instead.
3. You have a 1m3 box. You put in 400g of sugar (glucose) in the box, light it up and quickly seal the box.
Density of air: 1.225 g/L
Oxygen content of air: 23.2 weight %
Chemical formula of glucose: C6H12O6

a. Write the chemical reaction when you combust glucose (Assume complete combustion where the only products are
water and carbon dioxide). Balance the chemical equation.
𝐶6 𝐻12 𝑂6 + 6𝑂2 → 6𝐶𝑂2 + 6𝐻2 𝑂
b. How many moles of glucose do you have in your box? How many moles of oxygen molecules do you have?
The molecular weight of glucose is 180 g/mol. The mass of the glucose in the box is 400g. Thus,
400 𝑔
# 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑒: = 2.22 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒
180
The density of air is 1.225 kg/m3 (there are 1000L/m3), therefore you have 1.225 kg of air in your 1 m3 box.
The weight percentage of Oxygen is 23.2%. Therefore, the mass of the Oxygen molecules is
𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑂2 : 1225 𝑔 × 0.232 = 284.2 𝑔

and the number of Oxygen molecules is

284.2 𝑔
# 𝑜𝑓 𝑂2 : = 8.88 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒
32
c. Is there enough oxygen inside the box to completely combust the sugar?
The ratio between the reactants, glucose and oxygen is 1:6. We have 2.22 mole of glucose and 8.88 mole of oxygen;
therefore, oxygen is the limiting reagent, and we will not combust all of the sugar.
d. How much water did we produce?
The ratio between O2 and H2O is 1:1. With oxygen being the limiting reagent, 8.88 moles of H2O will be produced. The
molecular weight of H2O is 18 g/mol.
Therefore, the mass of the water molecules produced from combustion of glucose is
𝑔
𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝐻2 𝑂: 8.88 𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 18 ⁄𝑚𝑜𝑙 = 159.9 𝑔