What steps can you do to figure out a chemical reaction from Dalton's gas law if given only the data? P atm= 656.7, T h20= 27 C, V initial= 0.30 mL, V final = 17.05 mL and mass of Alka-seltzer 0.123g.

1 Answer
Mar 5, 2015

!! LONG ANSWER !!

You're describing a classic reaction used to produce CO_2CO2 gas.

First thing first, I think your pressure is actually 656.7 mmHg, since 656.7 atm is a very unreasonable figure, to say the least.

Here's what basically happens. Alka-seltzer contains sodium bicarbonate, or NaHCO_3NaHCO3, and citric acid, or C_6H_8O_7C6H8O7. When placed in water, the sodium bicarbonate reacts with the citric acid and produces water, carbon dioxide, and one of citric acid's salts, trisodium citrate to be exact.

Dalton's law of partial pressures comes in handy because the carbon dioxide gas that is collected over water is mixed with water vapor. You'll use it to calculate the actual pressure of the carbon dioxide.

The change in volume will be the volume occupied by the carbon dioxide and water vapor; in your case, the volume went from 0.30 mL to 17.05 mL.

The temperature of the water is given so that you can use its vapor pressure at that respective temperature.

So, I'll show you an example of what the reaction could be

3NaHCO_(3(s)) +C_6H_8O_(7(aq)) -> 3CO_(2(g)) + Na_3C_6H_5O_(7(aq)) + 3H_2O_((l))3NaHCO3(s)+C6H8O7(aq)3CO2(g)+Na3C6H5O7(aq)+3H2O(l)

So, let's focus on the produced CO_2CO2. The total pressure will be

P_("total") = P_(CO_2) + P_("water vapor")Ptotal=PCO2+Pwater vapor

At 27^@"C"27C, water has a vapor pressure of 26.66 mmHg, which means that

P_(CO_2) = P_("total") - P_("water vapor") = ("656.7" - "26.66")"mmHg" = "630.04 mmHg"PCO2=PtotalPwater vapor=(656.726.66)mmHg=630.04 mmHg

Its volume will be

V_(CO_2) = V_("final") - V_("initial") = "17.05 mL" - "0.30 mL" = "16.75 mL"VCO2=VfinalVinitial=17.05 mL0.30 mL=16.75 mL

Use the ideal gas law equation to solve for the number of moles of CO_2CO2 produced

PV = nRT => n = (PV)/(RT) = (630.04/760"atm" * 16.75 * 10^(-3)"L")/(0.082("atm" * "L")/("mol" * "K") * (273.15 + 27)"K")PV=nRTn=PVRT=630.04760atm16.75103L0.082atmLmolK(273.15+27)K

n_(CO_2) = "0.0005642 moles "nCO2=0.0005642 moles CO_2CO2

The mass of carbon dioxide produced will be

"0.0005642 moles" * "44.0 g"/"1 mole" = "0.0248 g "CO_20.0005642 moles44.0 g1 mole=0.0248 g CO2

Use the mole ratios that exist between carbon dioxide and sodium bicarbonate (1:1), and between carbon dioxide and citric acid (3:1), to determine how much of each compound was present in the Alka-seltzer tablet.

"0.0005642 moles" CO_2 * ("3 moles"NaHCO_3)/("3 moles"CO_2) = "0.0005642 moles"NaHCO_30.0005642 molesCO23 molesNaHCO33 molesCO2=0.0005642 molesNaHCO3

and

"0.0005642 moles" CO_2 * ("1 mole"C_6H_8O_7)/("3 moles"CO_2) = "0.0001881 moles"C_6H_8O_70.0005642 molesCO21 moleC6H8O73 molesCO2=0.0001881 molesC6H8O7

Using the compounds' molar masses will get you to the masses that reacted

"0.0005642 moles"NaHCO_3 * "84.0 g"/"1 mole" = "0.0474 g"NaHCO_30.0005642 molesNaHCO384.0 g1 mole=0.0474 gNaHCO3

and

"0.0001881 moles"C_6H_8O_7 * "192.12 g"/"1 mole" = "0.0361 g"C_6H_8O_70.0001881 molesC6H8O7192.12 g1 mole=0.0361 gC6H8O7

Your tablet has a weight of 0.123 g, out of which 0.0474 g will be sodium bicarbonate and 0.0361 g will be citric acid.

So, as a conclusion:

When you place a 0.123-g tablet of Alka-seltzer in water at 27 degrees Celsius, the reaction that takes place between sodium bicarbonate and citric acid will produce 0.0248 g of carbon dioxide under your specific conditions of pressure and temperature.

The volume occupied by the gas will be 16.75 mL.

SIDE NOTE I'm not exactly sure you are interested in all the things I wrote, but I wanted to show you exactly how it all comes together.