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.