A initial volume of 80cm3 of a mixture of propane gas and excess oxygen was ignited in an experiment. The final volume was cooled and bubbled through aqueous sodium hydroxide. The final volume was reduced by 30cm3. What was the purpose of the NaOH solution.
The purpose of bubbling the final volume through aqueous sodium hydroxide is to determine the amount of carbon dioxide produced during the combustion of the propane gas. When carbon dioxide reacts with sodium hydroxide, it forms sodium carbonate and water.
By measuring the decrease in volume after bubbling through the NaOH solution, we can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide produced and therefore determine the amount of propane gas that was originally present in the mixture. This information is important in understanding the stoichiometry of the combustion reaction and in determining the efficiency of the reaction.