Gaseous butane will react with gaseous oxygen to produce gaseous carbon dioxide and gaseous water . Suppose 2.9 g of butane is mixed with 18.5 g of oxygen. Calculate the maximum mass of carbon dioxide that could be produced by the chemical reaction. Be sure your answer has the correct number of significant digits.

8.8g of CO₂ could be produced

Explanation:

The reaction of combustion of butane, C₄H₁₀, is:

C₄H₁₀ + 13/2O₂ → 4CO₂ + 5H₂O

We need to find moles of butane and oxygen to obtain the limiting reactant. With moles of limiting reactant and the chemical equation we can determine moles of CO₂ and maximum mass that could be produced:

Moles butane -Molar mass: 58.12g/mol-

2.9g * (1mol / 58.12g) = 0.050 moles butane

Moles Oxygen -Molar mass: 32g/mol-

18.5g * (1mol / 32g) = 0.578 moles oxygen

For a complete reaction of 0.050moles of butane are needed:

0.050moles of butane * (13/2mol O₂ / 1mol butane) = 0.325 moles of oxygen

As there are 0.578 moles, the limiting reactant is butane and moles of carbon dioxide produced are:

0.050moles of butane * (4mol CO₂ / 1mol butane) = 0.20 moles of CO₂

The maximum mass that could be produced is - Molar mass: 44g/mol-:

0.20 moles of CO₂ * (44g/mol) =