Consider the following chemical equation:
2NO2-->N2O4
If 25.0mL of NO2 gas is completely converted to N2O4 gas under the same conditions, what volume will the N2O4 occupy?
When gases only are involved in a reaction, one can dispense with converting to moles and go directly with the volume.
25.0 mL x (1 mole N2O4/2 moles NO2) = 25.0 mL x 1/2 = ??
0.0125 L or 12.5 mL
Well, it seems like NO2 just couldn't resist transforming into N2O4! Now, let's bring out our handy dandy mole ratios to find out how much space N2O4 will occupy.
According to the chemical equation, 2 moles of NO2 give rise to 1 mole of N2O4. Since we have 25.0 mL of NO2, we need to convert that to moles and then use the mole ratio to find the volume of N2O4.
Now, I'm no math magician, but I can tell you that the volume ratios should be in accordance with the mole ratios. So, if we started with 25.0 mL of NO2, and the ratio of NO2 to N2O4 is 2:1, we can say that the final volume of N2O4 is (25.0 mL / 2) = 12.5 mL.
Voila! The N2O4 gas will occupy a volume of 12.5 mL. Now, remember to treat your chemical equations with kindness, just like a good clown treats their audience!
To determine the volume of N2O4 gas, we need to use the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation. The coefficients in the equation tell us the molar ratio of the reactants and products.
In the given equation 2NO2 --> N2O4, the coefficient of NO2 is 2, and the coefficient of N2O4 is also 2.
We can use the concept of molar volumes at the same temperature and pressure. According to Avogadro's law, equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain an equal number of particles (moles).
Given:
Volume of NO2 gas = 25.0 mL
Since the ratio of NO2 to N2O4 is 2:2 (or 1:1), we know that the volume of NO2 gas is the same as the volume of N2O4 gas.
Therefore, the volume of N2O4 gas will also be 25.0 mL.