How many moles of O2 must react with 0.550 mole ofMethanol?

To determine the number of moles of O2 that react with a given amount of methanol (CH3OH), we need to balance the chemical equation for the reaction between methanol and oxygen (O2).

The balanced chemical equation for the combustion of methanol is:

2 CH3OH + 3 O2 -> 2 CO2 + 4 H2O

From the chemical equation, we can see that 2 moles of methanol react with 3 moles of O2. Therefore, the stoichiometric ratio between methanol and O2 is:

2 moles CH3OH : 3 moles O2

Now, we can set up a proportion to find the number of moles of O2 needed:

(0.550 moles CH3OH) / (2 moles CH3OH) = (x moles O2) / (3 moles O2)

Cross-multiplying the above proportion, we get:

0.550 moles CH3OH * 3 moles O2 = 2 moles CH3OH * x moles O2

1.65 moles O2 = 2x

Dividing both sides of the equation by 2, we find:

x = 0.825 moles O2

Therefore, 0.825 moles of O2 must react with 0.550 moles of methanol.