If 434 g SO2 escaped into the atmosphere and all the escaped SO2 were converted to H2SO4. How many grams of H2SO4 would be produced in the atmosphere?
To calculate the number of grams of H2SO4 produced, we need to use the molar mass and stoichiometry of the reaction. The balanced equation for the reaction of SO2 to form H2SO4 is:
SO2 + O2 -> 2H2SO4
First, let's calculate the number of moles of SO2 by dividing the given mass of SO2 by its molar mass:
molar mass of SO2 = 32.07 g/mol (add the atomic masses of S and two O atoms)
moles of SO2 = mass of SO2 / molar mass of SO2
= 434 g / 32.07 g/mol
Next, we need to determine the mole ratio between SO2 and H2SO4 from the balanced equation. Since the equation shows that 1 mole of SO2 reacts to produce 2 moles of H2SO4, the mole ratio is 1:2.
Using the mole ratio, we can calculate the number of moles of H2SO4:
moles of H2SO4 = moles of SO2 * (2 moles of H2SO4 / 1 mole of SO2)
Finally, we can find the mass of H2SO4 by multiplying the number of moles of H2SO4 by its molar mass:
molar mass of H2SO4 = 98.09 g/mol (add the atomic masses of 2 H, 1 S, and 4 O atoms)
mass of H2SO4 = moles of H2SO4 * molar mass of H2SO4
By plugging in the calculated values, you can find the mass of H2SO4 produced in the atmosphere.