CEM1008F

CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

Lecture Notes Part 2:

Molecules, Moles and Chemical Equations
Stoichiometry
 Using Chemical Equations in
Calculations
• When aluminium metal reacts with HCl, aluminium chloride
and hydrogen gas are produced. If 4.288 g of Al undergo
this reaction with HCl, how many grams of hydrogen gas
should be produced?

2 Al + 6 HCl → 2 AlCl3 + 3 H2

Amt of Al = 4.288 g / 26.98 g mol-1 = 0.1589 mol

Al : H2 is 2:3, therefore amt of H2 = 3/2 x 0.1589 mol = 0.2384 mol
Mass of H2 = 0.2384 mol x (2 x 1.008 g mol-1) = 0.4806 g

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 Calculating Amounts of Reactant and Product in
Reactions Involving a Limiting Reactant
PROBLEM: A fuel mixture used in the early days of rocketry is composed of
two liquids, hydrazine (N2H4) and dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4),
which ignite on contact to form nitrogen gas and water vapour.
How many grams of nitrogen gas form when 1.00x102 g of N2H4
and 2.00x102 g of N2O4 are mixed?

PLAN: We always start with a balanced chemical equation and find the number
of mols of reactants and products which have been given.
In this case one of the reactants is in molar excess and the other will
limit the extent of the reaction.

mass of N2H4 mass of N2O4 limiting mol N2

divide by Mm multiply by Mm

mol of N2H4 mol of N2O4 g N2

molar ratio
mol of N2 mol of N2
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 Calculating Amounts of Reactant and Product in
Reactions Involving a Limiting Reactant
continued

SOLUTION: 2 N2H4 (l) + N2O4 (l) 3 N2 (g) + 4 H2O (g)

1.00 x 102 g N2H4

= 3.12 mol N2H4 N2H4 is the limiting reactant
32.05 g mol-1 N2H4 because it produces less
product, N2, than does N2O4.
3 mol N2
3.12 mol N2H4 = 4.68 mol N2
28.02 g N2
2 mol N2H4 4.68 mol N2 x
mol N2
2.00 x 102 g N2O4
= 2.17 mol N2O4
92.02 g mol-1 N = 131 g N2
2O4

3 mol N2
2.17 mol N2O4 = 6.51 mol N2
mol N2O4

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 Calculating Percent Yield

PROBLEM: Silicon carbide (SiC) is an important ceramic material that is

made by allowing sand (silicon dioxide, SiO2) to react with
powdered carbon at high temperature. Carbon monoxide is also
formed. When 100.0 kg of sand are processed, 51.4 kg of SiC
are recovered. What is the percent yield of SiC in this process?

PLAN: SOLUTION:

write balanced equation SiO2 (s) + 3 C (s) SiC (s) + 2 CO (g)

103 g SiO2 mol SiO2

100.0 kg SiO2 = 1664 mol SiO2
find mol reactant & product kg SiO2 60.09 g SiO2

mol SiO2 = mol SiC = 1664

find g product predicted 40.10 g SiC kg
1664 mol SiC = 66.73 kg
actual yield/theoretical yield x 100 mol SiC 103 g
51.4 kg
percent yield x 100 =77.0%
66.73 kg
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 Calculating the Molarity of a Solution

PROBLEM: Hydrobromic acid (HBr) is a solution of hydrogen bromide gas in

water. Calculate the molarity of hydrobromic acid solution if 455 mL
contains 1.80 mol of hydrogen bromide.

PLAN: Molarity is the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.

mol of HBr
divide by volume SOLUTION: 1.80 mol HBr 1000 mL
= 3.96 M
concentration(mol/mL) HBr 455 mL soln 1L
103mL = 1L

molarity(mol/L) HBr

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 Calculating Mass of Solute in a Given
Volume of Solution
PROBLEM: How many grams of solute are in 1.75 L of 0.460 M sodium
hydrogen phosphate?

PLAN: Molarity is the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.

Knowing the molarity and volume leaves us to find the # moles
and then the # of grams of solute. The formula for the solute is
Na2HPO4.
volume of soln
SOLUTION:
multiply by M
moles of solute 1.75 L 0.460 mol
= 0.805 mol Na2HPO4
multiply by M 1L
0.805 mol Na2HPO4 142.0 g Na2HPO4
grams of solute
mol Na2HPO4

= 114 g Na2HPO4

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 Preparing a Dilute Solution from a
Concentrated Solution
PROBLEM: “Isotonic saline” is a 0.15 M aqueous solution of NaCl that
simulates the total concentration of ions found in many cellular
fluids. Its uses range from a cleaning rinse for contact lenses to
a washing medium for red blood cells. How would you prepare
0.80 L of isotonic saline from a 6.0 M stock solution?
PLAN: It is important to realize the number of moles of solute does not
change during the dilution but the volume does.

MdilxVdil = #mol solute = MconcxVconc

volume of dilute soln
multiply by M of dilute solution SOLUTION:

moles of NaCl in dilute soln = mol NaCl 0.80 L soln 0.15 mol NaCl = 0.12 mol NaCl
in concentrated soln L soln
divide by M of concentrated soln 0.12 mol NaCl L solnconc = 0.020 L soln
L of concentrated soln 6.0 mol

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 Calculating Amounts of Reactants and
Products for a Reaction in Solution

PROBLEM: Specialized cells in the stomach release HCl to aid digestion. If

they release too much, the excess can be neutralized with
antacids. A common antacid contains magnesium hydroxide,
which reacts with the acid to form water and magnesium
chloride solution. As a government chemist testing commercial
antacids, you use 0.10 M HCl to simulate the acid concentration
in the stomach. How many liters of “stomach acid” react with a
tablet containing 0.10 g of magnesium hydroxide?
PLAN: Write a balanced equation for the reaction; find the mol of
Mg(OH)2; determine the mol ratio of reactants and products;
use mols to convert to molarity.

mass Mg(OH)2 L HCl

divide by Mm divide by M

mol Mg(OH)2 mol HCl

mol ratio
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 Calculating Amounts of Reactants and
Products for a Reaction in Solution
continued

SOLUTION: Mg(OH)2 (s) + 2 HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + 2 H2O (l)

mol Mg(OH)2
0.10 g Mg(OH)2 = 1.7x10-3 mol Mg(OH)2
58.33 g Mg(OH)2

2 mol HCl
1.7x10-3 mol Mg(OH)2 = 3.4x10-3 mol HCl
1 mol Mg(OH)2

1L
3.4x10-3 mol HCl = 3.4x10-2 L HCl
0.10 mol HCl

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 Solving Limiting-Reactant Problems
for Reactions in Solution

PROBLEM: Mercury and its compounds have many uses, from filling teeth
(as an alloy with silver, copper, and tin) to the industrial
production of chlorine. Because of their toxicity, however,
soluble mercury compounds, such mercury(II) nitrate, must be
removed from industrial wastewater. One removal method
reacts the wastewater with sodium sulfide solution to produce
solid mercury(II) sulfide and sodium nitrate solution. In a
laboratory simulation, 0.050 L of 0.010 M mercury(II) nitrate
reacts with 0.020 L of 0.10 M sodium sulfide. How many grams
of mercury(II) sulfide form?

PLAN: As usual, write a balanced chemical reaction. Since this is a problem

concerning a limiting reactant, we find the amount of product which
would be made from each reactant. We then choose the reactant
which gives the lesser amount of product.

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 Solving Limiting-Reactant Problems
for Reactions in Solution
continued
SOLUTION: Hg(NO3)2 (aq) + Na2S (aq) HgS (s) + 2 NaNO3 (aq)

L of Hg(NO3)2 0.050 L Hg(NO3)2 0.020 L Na2S L of Na2S

multiply by M x 0.010 mol/L x 0. 10 mol/L multiply by M

mol Hg(NO3)2 x 1 mol HgS x 1 mol HgS mol Na2S

mol ratio 1mol Hg(NO3)2 1 mol Na2S mol ratio

mol HgS = 5.0x10-4 mol HgS = 2.0x10-3 mol HgS mol HgS

Hg(NO3)2 is the limiting reagent.

232.7 g HgS
5.0x10-4 mol HgS = 0.12 g HgS
1 mol HgS

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