UNIT ACTIVITY

CHEMICAL QUANTITIES

OBJECTIVES
In this activity, you will solve a problem that involves a real-world system where reactant quantities, product
quantities, and gas volumes must be considered.

INTRODUCTION
Bicycle riders wear protective gear such as helmets and sports glasses to avoid injury. Similarly, people in
cars wear seatbelts as a protective measure. But seat belts aren’t the only protection available in cars.
Tucked away in the car and hidden from sight is another
mechanism that protects drivers and passengers in case of
accidents. This safeguard is the airbags that are fitted into
modern cars.

Airbags are designed to quickly inflate, or deploy, in the

event of a crash and protect the people inside the car from
the sudden impact. In a crash or collision, airbags cushion
the impact of the sudden forward jerk that the car’s
occupants experience. This cushioning reduces the
possibility of serious injury to the body.

Frontal airbags are fitted into the steering wheel and the
dashboard of a car. Cars today also offer side-impact
protection with torso and curtain airbags located in the
car’s seats and ceiling.

In this activity, you’ll look at how airbag systems work and

learn about the chemical reactions used to inflate airbags.

TASK 1: HOW AIRBAGS PROTECT DRIVERS

In this task, you’ll learn how airbags operate. You’ll also learn about the chemical reactions used to inflate
airbags.

PART A
Conduct Internet research to learn how airbags work in automobiles. Take notes on your research. Then
write one to two paragraphs explaining what causes airbags to inflate when a car is involved in an accident.
(10 pts)

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 When a car experiences a collision, sensors are triggered that send an electric signal to an ignitor.
The heat generated by the ignitor causes sodium azide to break down into sodium metal and nitrogen
gas, which inflates the airbags. While this molecule is usually stable, it can be easily decomposed by
heat.
In the event of a front-end crash, a sensor detects the impact and quickly sends an electric signal to
trigger a chemical reaction. This reaction rapidly inflates the airbag with nitrogen gas, providing a cushion
to protect the occupants inside the car. The entire process occurs within a fraction of a second.

PART B
Sodium azide (NaN3) is a substance that can be used to inflate airbags. An electrical impulse causes the
sodium azide to decompose, producing elemental sodium and nitrogen gas. Write the balanced chemical
equation for this reaction. (5 pts)

2 NaN3 → 2 Na + 3 N2

PART C
Now run this simulation that demonstrates the properties of gases. The simulation shows a container with a
top lid. The lid can be opened and closed by dragging it left and right. On the left side of the container is a
yellow handle. Drag this handle right or left to decrease or increase the volume of the container. On the top
right of the container are a thermometer and a pressure gauge. Follow these steps to use the simulation,
and then answer the question that follows. (5 pts)

1. Reduce the container to its lowest volume by dragging the yellow handle as far right as you can.

2. In the Gas in Chamber menu, add 80 molecules of heavy species to the container.

3. In the Constant Parameter menu, select Pressure.

4. Increase the number of heavy species molecules to 200.

What do you observe when the molecules are increased from 80 to 200 at constant pressure?

The container increases its length to create room for all the new molecules. There is also a lot faster
movement throughout the container.

PART D
Go back to the simulation and increase the number of molecules of heavy species to 700. What change do
you observe? (5 pts)

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 There are a lot of small fast movements in the contour as there is not much room for the heavy particles
to move.

PART E
Based on your observations, relate the container from the simulation to a car airbag. What would happen to
an inflatable airbag if air molecules were to be continuously added to it, similar to the container in the
simulation? (10 pts)

The more heavy particles that are added, the more pressure there is. Because there is more pressure in
the container, the size of the container increases to create more room for the articles. In the situation of a
car airbag, the pressure put on the car causes the airbags to increase in size to make room for the new
particles helping to lessen the impact of the person in a crash.

TASK 2: REACTANTS AND PRODUCTS IN AN AIRBAG INFLATOR

In this activity, you are tasked with designing an airbag for a company that creates airbags for automobiles.
You must design the driver’s front airbag for a specific car model so it will protect the driver as effectively as
possible. For this car, the airbag must have a volume of 58 liters when fully inflated. To provide an adequate
cushion for the driver’s head, the air pressure inside the airbag should be 4.4 psi. This pressure value is in
addition to the normal atmospheric pressure of 14.7 psi, giving a total absolute pressure of 19.1 psi, which
equals 1.30 atmospheres.

PART A
Deploying an airbag in an automobile is a complex process. Identify at least three steps in the process.
Refer to your research in part A of task 1 if you need help. (10 pts)

1. To ensure safety, it is important that the car has both an accelerometer and an airbag circuit.
2. The airbag system should contain a sufficient amount of sodium azide that can fill the bag when
ignited.
3. Additionally, wrapping the airbag in talcum powder can help it to unwrap smoothly in case of an
emergency.

PART B
One of the main components of an airbag is the gas that fills it. As part of the design process, you need to
determine the exact amount of nitrogen that should be produced. For this car, the airbag must have a
volume of 58 liters when fully inflated. To provide an adequate cushion for the driver’s head, the air
pressure inside the airbag should be 4.4 psi. This pressure value is in addition to the normal atmospheric
pressure of 14.7 psi, giving a total absolute pressure of 19.1 psi, which equals 1.30 atmospheres.

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Calculate the number of moles of nitrogen required to fill the airbag. Show your work. Assume that the
nitrogen produced by the chemical reaction is at a temperature of 495°C and that nitrogen gas behaves like
an ideal gas. Use the information below to review the ideal gas law. (10 pts)

K= C+ 2.104

PART C
Recall the balanced chemical equation from Part B of task 1:

2NaN3 → 2Na + 3N2.

Using stoichiometry, calculate the mass of sodium azide required to decompose and produce the number
of moles of nitrogen you calculated in part B of this task. Refer to the periodic table to get the atomic
weights. (10 pts)

91 grams of sodium azide are needed to get 2.104 moles of nitrogen.

PART D
What would happen if the amount of sodium azide used was far greater or far less than what you calculated
in Part C? Describe both cases. (5 pts)

If the amount of sodium azide used is significantly greater than the calculated value of 1424 g, the
resulting volume of nitrogen produced would exceed 736 liters. On the other hand, if the amount of
sodium azide used is significantly less than 1424 g, the volume of nitrogen produced would be less than
736 liters.

TASK 3: COMPARING PROPELLANTS IN AIRBAG INFLATORS

Sodium azide is just one of the many propellants that can be used to produce nitrogen to inflate an airbag.
Many modern airbags use other chemicals instead. The choice of propellant depends on many factors. In

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this task, you will familiarize yourself with the criteria and constraints that must be considered when
choosing a propellant to use.

PART A
When designing an engineering solution, certain criteria and constraints must be considered. Criteria are
the features of the design that must be kept in mind while solving the problem. A criterion answers the
question, What do you want the design to do? A constraint is something that prevents the design from
performing at its best. These constraints can include time, resources, and money.

When designing the airbag, what are some criteria you might consider and what constraints would you
anticipate in its implementation?

Create a list of at least two criteria and at least three constraints that you must consider in the design. Rank
them in order of importance, with the most important ones at the top of the list. (10 pts)

When designing an airbag, some important criteria to keep in mind are the speed of inflation, the level of
protection it provides to occupants, and its durability. However, there are also several constraints that
must be considered, such as available resources, cost, and regulatory standards.

PART B
Sodium azide is stable at room temperature but decomposes quickly at temperatures above 300°C. It is
moderately inexpensive to manufacture but is highly toxic. Read this article on the effects of undeployed
airbags. Based on the article, does sodium azide seem like a good match for the criteria and constraints
you listed in part A? In what ways is sodium azide a good choice for an airbag design, and in what ways is
it not? (10 pts)

Sodium azide is a suitable option for an airbag design because of its fast decomposition at high
temperatures, which produces nitrogen gas that rapidly inflates the airbag. Additionally, it is cost-effective
to manufacture. However, it poses significant risks due to its highly toxic nature, making proper handling
and disposal essential.

PART C
In looking for a chemical to replace sodium azide in airbags, suppose that a cheap, nontoxic, and
environmentally friendly chemical was found that decomposed more slowly, producing nitrogen over
several seconds. Would this chemical be a good replacement for sodium azide in airbags? Explain why or
why not. (10 pts)

This would not be a good substitute because if it takes more time to decompose, the airbag would not
deploy until longer. Even if delayed for just half a second, it could be too late and lead to the death and
injuries of many.

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