Chapter 1: Problem 77
A certain grade coal contains \(1.6\) per cent sulphur. Assuming that on burning the coal, \(\mathrm{S}\) in it is oxidised to \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\), how many moles of \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\) would be formed on burning 1 metric ton \((1000 \mathrm{~kg})\) of coal? (1) 16 (2) \(16000 \times \frac{2}{64}\) (3) \(16000 \times \frac{2}{32}\) (4) \(\frac{16000}{64}\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Mole Calculation
\( \text{Moles} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Molar Mass}} \)
In the exercise, we must first determine the mass of sulfur in the coal. Given that the coal contains 1.6% sulfur, we calculate the mass of sulfur in 1000 kg (1 metric ton) as follows:
\( \text{Mass of } S = \frac{1.6}{100} \times 1000 \text{ kg} = 16 \text{ kg} \)
Next, we convert this mass from kilograms to grams because molar mass is in grams per mole:
\( 16 \text{ kg} \times 1000 \frac{\text{g}}{\text{kg}} = 16000 \text{ grams} \)
Finally, we find the number of moles of sulfur:
\( \text{Moles of } S = \frac{16000 \text{ g}}{32 \text{ g/mol}} = 500 \text{ moles} \)
This calculation shows us that 16000 grams of sulfur corresponds to 500 moles of sulfur.
Percent Composition
In the given exercise, the coal contains 1.6% sulfur. This information allows us to determine the exact amount of sulfur present by applying the percentage to the total mass of the coal:
\( \frac{1.6}{100} \times 1000 \text{ kg} = 16 \text{ kg} \)
We then convert this mass to grams, crucial for mole calculation:
\( 16 \text{ kg} \times 1000 \frac{\text{g}}{\text{kg}} = 16000 \text{ grams} \)
Thus, percent composition helps us convert real-world measurements into useful data for further calculations, like determining the number of moles.
Chemical Reactions
The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:
\( S + O_2 \rightarrow SO_2 \)
This equation tells us that one mole of sulfur reacts with one mole of oxygen to produce one mole of sulfur dioxide. This 1:1 stoichiometric ratio is key to figuring out how much \( \text{SO}_2 \) forms from a given amount of sulfur.
From the earlier calculation, we found that there are 500 moles of sulfur in 1000 kg of coal. Therefore:
\( \text{Moles of } SO_2 = \text{Moles of } S = 500 \text{ moles} \)
So, 500 moles of sulfur will produce 500 moles of sulfur dioxide. Understanding the stoichiometry of the reaction helps us connect reactants to products effectively.