CHAPTER 4 – STOICHIOMETRY

Stoichiometry
 Is the study of quantitative relationships between amounts of reactants used and products
formed by a chemical reaction.
 It is based on the law of conservation of mass.
- States that matter is neither created nor destroyed.
- Thus, in a chemical reaction, the mass of the reactants = mass of the products
 Master the following chemistry concepts to solve stoichiometry problems:
- Balancing equations
- Converting between grams and moles
- Calculating molar mass
- Calculating mole ratios

Example:
 Look at the balanced chemical equation for the formation of table salt (NaCl).

2Na(s) + Cl2(g) → 2NaCl(s)

 You could use stoichiometry to answer the following questions about the chemical reaction.
- How much the sodium is needed to produce a certain amount of table salt?
- How much chlorine is needed to produce a certain amount of table salt?
- Given a certain amount of sodium or chlorine, how much table salt can be produced?

Interpreting Chemical Equations

Interpret the balanced chemical equation in terms of particles, moles, and mass. Show that the law of
conservation of mass is observed.

4NH3 + 5O2 → 4NO + 6H2O

The coefficients represent both the numbers of particles and the numbers of moles interacting in the
chemical reaction.
4 molecules NH3 + 5 molecules O2 → 4 molecules NO + 6 molecules H2O
4 moles NH3 + 5 moles O2 → 4 moles NO + 6 moles H2O
You can calculate the mass of each reactant and product by multiplying the number of moles by the conversion
factor molar mass.

The law of conservation of mass is observed because the mass of the reactants (68.12 g NH 3 + 160.0
g O2 = 228.1 g) equals the mass of the products (120.0 g NO + 108.1 g H 2O = 228.1 g).

 Mole Ratio – is a ratio between the numbers of moles of any 2 substances in a balanced
chemical equation.

What mole ratios can be written for the following chemical equation?

The general approach for solving stoichiometry problems:

1. Write a balanced equation for the reaction.
2. Convert the given amount of the reactant (in grams or other units) to number of moles.
3. Use the mole ratio from the balanced equation to calculate the number of moles of product
formed.
4. Convert the moles of product to grams (or other units) of product.
  Mole Method – the stoichiometric coefficients in achemical equation can be interpreted as the
number of moles of each substance.

Stoichiometric Mole-to-Mole Conversion

A piece of magnesium burns in the presence of oxygen, forming magnesium oxide (MgO). How many
moles of oxygen are needed to produce 12 moles of magnesium oxide?
Write the balanced equation and the mole ratio that relates mol O 2 to mol MgO.

Multiply the known number of moles of MgO by the mole ratio.

Six moles of oxygen is needed to produce 12 moles of magnesium oxide.

Mole-mole calculation → mole ratio

How many moles of oxygen react with hydrogen to produce 27.6 mol of H 2O?

Mass-mass calculation
 How many grams of hydrogen gas are needed to react completely with 54.0 g of oxygen gas,
given the following chemical equation?

Mass-mole calculation
 How many moles of Hyddrogen fluoride is required to react completely with 75 g of tin?
The food we eat is degraded, or broken down, in our bodies to providde energy for growth and
function. A general overall equation for this very complex process represents yhe degradation of
glucose (C6H12O6) to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O):

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

If 856 g of C6H12O6 is consumed by a person over a certain period, what is the mass of CO,
produced?
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

All alkali metals react with water to produce hydrogen gas and the corresponding alkali metal
hydroxide. A typical reaction is that between lithium and water.
2Li(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2LiOH(aq) + H2(g)
How many grams of Li are needed to produce 9.89 of H2?

Limiting Reagents
 Limiting reagents – reactant used up first in a reaction.
 Excess reagents – the reactants present in quantities greater than
necessary to react with the quantity of the limiting reagent.
 Example/s:

Determining the Limiting Reactant

In the reaction below, 40.0 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) reacts with 60.0 g of sulfuric acid
(H2SO4).

2NaOH(aq) + H2SO4(aq) → Na2SO4 + 2H2O(g)

Which reactant is the limiting reactant?

- Limiting Reactant

- Excess Reactant

A.

Limiting
Reactant

Excess Reactant

B.

C.
Reaction Yield

 Theoretical yield – the amount of product that would result if all the limiting reagents reacted.
- The maximum obtainable yield, predicted by the balanced equation.
 Actual yield – the amount of product actually obtained from a reaction.
- Is always less than the theoretical yield.
 Percent yield – the proportion of the actual yield to the theoretical yield.