STOICHIOMETRY

The word stoichiometry derives from two Greek words: stoicheion (meaning
"element") and metron (meaning "measure"). Stoichiometry deals with
calculations about the masses (sometimes volumes) of reactants and products
involved in a chemical reaction.
Composition Stoichiometry
The Mole Concept
The term mole literally means a small mass. It is used as the bridge between
chemistry on the atomic and macroscopic scale. If the mass of a single 12C atom
is 12.000 amu, then one mole of these atoms would have a mass of 12.000
grams. By definition, a mole of any substance contains the same number
of elementary particles as there are atoms in exactly 12 grams of the
12
C isotope of carbon.
Example: A single 12C atom has a mass of 12 amu, and a mole of these atoms
would have a mass of 12 grams.

Practice Problem 3.1: Calculate the mass of a mole of magnesium atoms

to 3 significant digits.
Practice Problem 3.2: Calculate the molecular weights of carbon dioxide
(CO2) and sugar (C12H22O11) and the mass of a mole of each compound.
Avogadro's number (or Avogadro's constant) is the number of elementary
particles in a mole of any substance for most calculations; four significant figures
for Avogadro's constant are enough: 6.022 x 10 23. A mole of any substance
contains Avogadro's number of elementary particles. It doesn't matter whether
we talk about a mole of atoms, a mole of molecules, a mole of electrons, or a
mole of ions. By definition, a mole always contains 6.022 x 10 23 elementary
particles.

Practice Problem 3.3: Calculate the number of C12H22O11 molecules in a

kilogram of cane sugar.
Practice Problem 3.4: Calculate the number of C3H8 molecules in 74.6 g of
propane.

Percentage by Mass ( % composition)

The percent composition (percentage composition) of a compound is a relative
measure of the mass of each different element present in the compound.
mass of an individual element in a
compound
%mass = _____________________________
total mass of the compound

Practice Problem 3.5: Determine the percent composition of C and H in

C3H8.
Practice Problem 3.6: Calculate the percent composition of Fe2(SO4)3 to 3
significant figures.
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Derivation of Formulas from Elemental Composition

Empirical Formula - of a chemical is a simple expression of the relative number
of each type of atom or ratio of the elements in the compound.
Molecular Formula - actual numbers of atoms of each element present in a
molecule of the compound
For example, n-hexane, a chemical compound has the molecular formula
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3, implying that it has a straight chain structure, 6 carbon
atoms, and 14 hydrogen atoms. Hexane's molecular formula is C 6H14, and its
empirical formula would be C3H7 showing a C:H ratio of 3:7.

Practice Problem 3.7: A compound contains 24.74% K, 34.76% Mn, and

40.50% O by mass. What is its empirical formula?
Practice Problem 3.8: A sample of a compound contains 6.541g of Co and
2.368g of O. What is the empirical formula for this compound?
Practice Problem 3.9: A compound is found to contain 85.63% C and
14.37% H by mass. In another experiment its molar mass is found to be
Reaction Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry (sometimes called reaction stoichiometry to distinguish it
from composition stoichiometry) is the calculation of quantitative (measurable)
relationships of the reactants and products in chemical reactions (chemical
equations).
Limiting Reactant Concept
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Practice Exercise 3.11: What is the maximum mass of sulfur dioxide that can
be produced by the reaction of 50 g of carbon disulfide with 110. g of oxygen?
Which is the limiting reactant?
CS2 + O2 CO2 + 2SO2
Percent Yields from Reactions
Theoretical yield is calculated by assuming that the reaction goes to
completion. It is determined from the limiting reactant calculation.
Actual yield is the amount of a specified pure product made in a given
reaction. In the laboratory, this is the amount of product that is formed in
your beaker, after it is purified and dried.
Percent yield (% yield) indicates how much of the product is obtained from
a reaction.

% yield =

actual yield
100%
theoretical yield

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___________________________
Practice Exercise 3.12: Consider the reaction:
2Al + 3I2 2AlI3
Determine the limiting reagent and the theoretical yield of the product if one
starts with:
(a)
1.20 mol Al and 2.40 mol iodine.
(b)
1.20 g Al and 2.40 g iodine
(c)
How many grams of Al are left over in part b?
Practice Exercise 3.13: 15.00 g aluminum sulfide and 10.00 g water react until
the limiting reagent is used up. Here is the balanced equation for the
reaction:
Al2S3 + 6H2O 2Al(OH)3 + 3H2S
(a)
Which is the limiting reagent?
(b)
What is the maximum mass of H2S which can be formed from these
reagents?
(c)
How much excess reagent remains after the reaction is complete?
Solve Problems: 3.5, 3.13, 3.15, 3.19, 3.25, 3.41, 3.43, 3.47, 3.59, 3.67, 3.71,
3.84, 3.92. pp. 86 - 91, General Chemistry: The Essential Concepts, 5 th
edition by Raymond Chang

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