calculate the theoretical weight of sodium borohydride need to reduce 50 mg of benzil

To calculate the theoretical weight of sodium borohydride needed to reduce 50 mg of benzil, we need to consider the stoichiometry of the reaction.

The balanced chemical equation for the reduction of benzil using sodium borohydride is:

C14H10O2 + 4NaBH4 -> 2C14H14O2 + 4NaBO2 + 8H2

From the balanced equation, we can see that one mole of benzil (C14H10O2) reacts with 4 moles of sodium borohydride (NaBH4).

First, let's calculate the molar mass of benzil (C14H10O2).
Molar mass of carbon (C) = 12.01 g/mol
Molar mass of hydrogen (H) = 1.01 g/mol
Molar mass of oxygen (O) = 16.00 g/mol

Molar mass of benzil = (14 * 12.01) + (10 * 1.01) + (2 * 16.00) = 210.24 g/mol

Now, let's calculate the number of moles of benzil:

Mass of benzil = 50 mg = 0.050 g

Number of moles of benzil = Mass / Molar mass = 0.050 g / 210.24 g/mol

Next, we need to find the number of moles of sodium borohydride required. From the balanced equation, we know that the stoichiometric ratio is 1:4. So, the number of moles of sodium borohydride needed will be four times the number of moles of benzil.

Number of moles of sodium borohydride = 4 * (Number of moles of benzil)

Finally, we can calculate the theoretical weight of sodium borohydride:

Theoretical weight of sodium borohydride = Number of moles of sodium borohydride * Molar mass of sodium borohydride

Note: The molar mass of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is approximately 37.83 g/mol.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you need further assistance.

To calculate the theoretical weight of sodium borohydride needed to reduce 50 mg of benzil, we need to determine the stoichiometric ratio between benzil and sodium borohydride in the reaction.

The balanced chemical equation for the reduction of benzil using sodium borohydride is as follows:

2 C14H10O2 + 6 NaBH4 → C14H14O4 + 6 NaBO2 + 8 H2

From this equation, we can see that it takes 2 moles of benzil (C14H10O2) to react with 6 moles of sodium borohydride (NaBH4).

To calculate the theoretical weight of sodium borohydride required, we need to convert the mass of benzil to moles, and then use the stoichiometric ratio to determine the moles of sodium borohydride required. Finally, we can convert the moles of sodium borohydride to grams.

Here's the step-by-step calculation:

1. Convert the mass of benzil to moles using its molar mass.

Molar mass of benzil (C14H10O2) = (12.01 * 14) + (1.01 * 10) + (16.00 * 2) = 210.24 g/mol

Moles of benzil = Mass of benzil / Molar mass = 50 mg / 210.24 g/mol

2. Use the stoichiometric ratio to determine the moles of sodium borohydride required.

Moles of sodium borohydride = (2 moles of benzil / 2 moles of C14H14O4) * (6 moles of NaBH4 / 2 moles of benzil) * Moles of benzil

3. Convert the moles of sodium borohydride to grams using its molar mass.

Molar mass of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) = (22.99 * 1) + (1.01 * 4) + (1.01 * 4) = 37.83 g/mol

Mass of sodium borohydride = Moles of sodium borohydride * Molar mass of NaBH4

By following these steps, you can calculate the theoretical weight of sodium borohydride needed to reduce 50 mg of benzil.

This process will work all of your stoichiometry problems.

http://www.jiskha.com/science/chemistry/stoichiometry.html