Chemical reactions involve the breaking and formation of
chemical bonds between atoms, resulting in the formation of new substances. In
order to determine the quantities of reactants and products involved in a
chemical reaction, it is necessary to consider the stoichiometry of the
reaction, which relates the amounts of reactants and products on a molecular
level.
In this article, we will consider the stoichiometry of a
reaction involving the combustion of ethanol (C2H5OH) in the presence of oxygen
(O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The balanced chemical
equation for this reaction is as follows:
C2H5OH + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 3H2O
According to the stoichiometry of this equation, one
molecule of ethanol reacts with three molecules of oxygen to produce two
molecules of carbon dioxide and three molecules of water. Therefore, if the
reaction goes to completion, the number of molecules of each substance present
will depend on the initial amounts of reactants used.
Assuming that we start with one molecule of ethanol and an
excess of oxygen, we can calculate the number of molecules of each substance
that will be present at the end of the reaction.
First, we can calculate the number of molecules of oxygen
required to react with one molecule of ethanol. From the balanced equation, we
know that three molecules of oxygen are required to react with one molecule of
ethanol. Therefore, we need three molecules of oxygen for every one molecule of
ethanol.
Next, we can calculate the number of molecules of carbon
dioxide and water that will be produced by the reaction. From the balanced
equation, we know that two molecules of carbon dioxide and three molecules of
water are produced for every one molecule of ethanol that reacts. Therefore, we
can calculate the number of molecules of each product as follows:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2): 2 molecules of CO2 for every 1
molecule of C2H5OH
- Water (H2O): 3 molecules of H2O for every 1 molecule of
C2H5OH
Finally, we can calculate the total number of molecules of
each substance that will be present at the end of the reaction. Assuming that
we start with one molecule of ethanol and an excess of oxygen, we can calculate
the number of molecules of each substance as follows:
- Ethanol (C2H5OH): 0 molecules (since it is completely
consumed in the reaction)
- Oxygen (O2): Excess amount remaining
- Carbon dioxide (CO2): 2 molecules
- Water (H2O): 3 molecules
In summary, if the reaction between one molecule of ethanol
and an excess of oxygen goes to completion, two molecules of carbon dioxide and
three molecules of water will be produced, while the initial molecule of
ethanol will be completely consumed. The number of molecules of oxygen present
at the end of the reaction will depend on the initial amount used. It is
important to note that these calculations assume that the reaction goes to
completion, which may not always be the case in practice.