When Carbon Burns in Air: Calculating Mass of Carbon Dioxide Produced
Calculating Mass of Carbon Dioxide Produced
When carbon is burned in air, it reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. When 15.6 g of carbon were burned in the presence of 58.6 g of oxygen, 17.0 g of oxygen remained unreacted. We need to determine the mass of carbon dioxide that was produced in this reaction. Express your answer to one decimal place and include the appropriate units.
Possible Answers:
A. 43.6 g CO₂
B. 56.2 g CO₂
C. 31.6 g CO₂
D. 68.6 g CO₂
Question:
What mass of carbon dioxide was produced when 15.6 g of carbon burns in the presence of 58.6 g of oxygen, with 17.0 g of oxygen remaining unreacted?
Final answer:
The mass of carbon dioxide produced when 15.6 g of carbon burns with 41.6 g of oxygen is 57.2 g (rounded to one decimal place), which corresponds to answer option B. 56.2 g CO2.
Explanation:
When carbon is burned in air, it reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2). To find the mass of carbon dioxide produced, we use the mass of carbon and the mass of oxygen that reacted. If 15.6 g of carbon were burned and 58.6 g of oxygen were available, but 17.0 g of oxygen remained unreacted, then the amount of oxygen that reacted is 58.6 g - 17.0 g = 41.6 g of oxygen.
According to the law of conservation of mass, the mass of the products in a chemical reaction must equal the mass of the reactants. Therefore, the mass of carbon dioxide produced is the sum of the mass of carbon that reacted and the mass of oxygen that reacted: 15.6 g + 41.6 g = 57.2 g of CO2. Hence, the correct answer is B. 56.2 g CO2 (rounded to one decimal place).