Provided with enough heat, magnesium and oxygen can undergo a synthesis reaction. How much magnesium oxide is produced if 50g of Mg is reacted with 50g of oxygen?
To determine how much magnesium oxide is produced when 50g of Mg reacts with 50g of oxygen, we first need to determine which reactant is the limiting reactant.
The limiting reactant is the one that is completely consumed in the reaction and determines the maximum amount of product that can be formed.
To find the limiting reactant, we need to compare the amount of each reactant to the stoichiometric ratio in the balanced chemical equation.
The balanced chemical equation for the synthesis reaction between magnesium (Mg) and oxygen (O2) to form magnesium oxide (MgO) is:
2Mg + O2 → 2MgO
According to the balanced equation, it shows the ratio of 2 moles of magnesium reacting with 1 mole of oxygen to produce 2 moles of magnesium oxide.
First, let's convert the mass of magnesium to moles using its molar mass of 24.31 g/mol:
Moles of Mg = Mass of Mg / Molar mass of Mg
= 50g / 24.31 g/mol
≈ 2.060 moles
Next, let's convert the mass of oxygen to moles using its molar mass of 32.00 g/mol:
Moles of O2 = Mass of O2 / Molar mass of O2
= 50g / 32.00 g/mol
≈ 1.563 moles
Now, let's compare the moles of magnesium and oxygen to see which one is limiting:
According to the balanced equation, the stoichiometric ratio is 2 moles of Mg for every 1 mole of O2. Therefore, for every 2.060 moles of Mg, we need 1.030 moles of O2.
Since we have fewer moles of O2 (1.563 moles) than the stoichiometric ratio (1.030 moles), oxygen is the limiting reactant.
To find the amount of magnesium oxide produced, we use the stoichiometry from the balanced equation. According to the equation, 2 moles of magnesium produce 2 moles of magnesium oxide.
Since oxygen is the limiting reactant and the stoichiometric ratio is 1:1, the amount of magnesium oxide formed will also be 1.563 moles.
Finally, let's convert moles of magnesium oxide to grams using its molar mass of 40.31 g/mol:
Mass of MgO = Moles of MgO x Molar mass of MgO
= 1.563 moles x 40.31 g/mol
≈ 62.98 grams
Therefore, approximately 62.98 grams of magnesium oxide will be produced when 50g of Mg reacts with 50g of oxygen.