Calculate the amount of zirconium produced (in kg) if a reactor were charged with 261.0 kg ZrCl4 and 25.0 kg Na .

To calculate the amount of zirconium produced, we need to understand the stoichiometry of the reaction between ZrCl4 and Na.

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:

3ZrCl4 + 12Na -> 4Zr + 12NaCl

From the equation, we can see that for every 3 moles of ZrCl4, we obtain 4 moles of Zr.

To calculate the amount of zirconium produced, we can follow these steps:

Step 1: Convert the mass of ZrCl4 and Na into moles.
- The molar mass of ZrCl4 = 233 g/mol
- The molar mass of Na = 23 g/mol

Moles of ZrCl4 = 261.0 kg / 233 g/mol = 1120.26 mol
Moles of Na = 25.0 kg / 23 g/mol = 1086.96 mol

Step 2: Determine the limiting reactant.
- The limiting reactant is the one that is completely consumed in the reaction, and it determines the amount of product formed.

From the balanced equation, we can see that the ratio of ZrCl4 to Na is 3:12. Therefore, for every 3 moles of ZrCl4, we need 12 moles of Na.

Moles of Na needed = 3 mol ZrCl4 * (12 mol Na / 3 mol ZrCl4) = 12 mol Na

Since we have 1086.96 mol of Na, which is in excess of the required 12 mol, ZrCl4 is the limiting reactant.

Step 3: Calculate the moles of Zr produced.
From the balanced equation, we know that 3 moles of ZrCl4 produce 4 moles of Zr.

Moles of Zr produced = 1120.26 mol ZrCl4 * (4 mol Zr / 3 mol ZrCl4) = 1493.68 mol Zr

Step 4: Convert moles of Zr produced to kilograms.
- The molar mass of Zr = 91.22 g/mol

Mass of Zr produced = 1493.68 mol * 91.22 g/mol = 136,200.26 g
Mass of Zr produced = 136,200.26 g / 1000 = 136.20 kg

Therefore, the amount of zirconium produced would be 136.20 kg.