Question

II. Pure magnesium metal is often found as ribbons and can easily burn in the presence of oxygen. When 3.86 g of magnesium ribbon burns with 155ml of oxygen at 1.0 atm and 275 K , a bright, white light and a white, powdery product is formed, magnesium oxide. How many grams of excess reactant remain?

Answer 1

Answer:

$Excess=3.53g$

Explanation:

Hello,

In this case, the undergoing chemical reaction is:

$2Mg(s)+O_2(g) \rightarrow 2MgO(s)$

Next, we identify the limiting reactant by computing the moles of magnesium oxide yielded by 3.86 g of magnesium and 155 mL of oxygen at the given conditions via their 2:1:2 mole ratios and the ideal gas equation:

$n_{MnO}^{by \ Mg}=3.86gMg*\frac{1molMg}{24.3gMg}*\frac{2molMgO}{2molMg} =0.159molMgO\\\\n_{MnO}^{by \ O_2}=\frac{1atm*0.155L}{0.082\frac{atm*L}{molO_2*K}*275K} *\frac{2mol MgO}{1molO_2} =0.0137molMgO$

It means that the limiting reactant is the oxygen as it yields the smallest amount of magnesium oxide. Next, we compute the mass of magnesium consumed the oxygen only:

$m_{Mg}^{consumed}=0.0137molMgO*\frac{2molMg}{2molMgO} *\frac{24.3gMg}{1molMg} =0.334gMg$

Thus, the mass in excess is:

$Excess=3.86g-0.334g\\\\Excess=3.53g$

Regards!