Question

Calculate the mass of excess reagent remaining at the end of the reaction in which 90.0 g of SO2 are mixed with 100.0 g of O2

Answer 1

We have to first write a balanced equation.
so2 + o2 -> so3

this is not balanced though. we have 3 oxygen on right and 4 on left
2so2 + o2 -> 2so3

now it is same on both sides. we have to figure out which is limiting reagent with the given amounts of reagents. we do this by comparing the ratio between them in terms of moles. we see that so2 has a coefficient of 2 and o2 has none which implies 1 and so3 has 2. this means that for every 2 moles of so2 reacting with 1 mole of o2, we get 2 moles of so3.

lets convert the given values to moles. to do this we know that molecular weight is measured in grams per mole. we are given grams and need to cancel out the grams to get moles. so the molecular weight:
so2 =32.1 + 2 * 16 = 64.1 g/mol
o2 = 2 * 16 = 32 g/mol
so3 = 32.1 + 3 * 16 = 80.1 g/mol

now to convert 90 g of 2so2 under ideal conditions.
90g / 64.1g/mol = 1.404 moles

convert this amount of moles of so2 to moles of o2. we have 2 moles of so2 to 1 of o2
1.404moles so2 / 2 moles so2 * 1 mole o2= 0.702 moles o2

so we see under ideal conditions that 90g of so2 would react with .702g of o2. lets see how many we actually have with 100g of o2
100g / 32g/mol =3.16 mol.

so we have a lot more o2 than needed. we are looking for how much is left in grams. we have to figure out how much was used. to do this convert our ideal moles of o2 into grams.
.702 moles o2 * 32g/mol = 22.5g o2

so what we startrd with (100g) minus what we needed (22.5g) is what we have left
100 - 22.5 = 77.5g o2