Question

You are a NASA engineer. You are the chief engineer for the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. The astronauts are running out of oxygen and need to get rid of the excess carbon dioxide. You know that sodium hydroxide (NaOH) has been suggested as a means of removing carbon dioxide from the spacecraft cabin. The filter which they had been using is fully saturated and no longer works. You remember that the astronauts have a 5000. g container of sodium hydroxide on the ship. You also know that sodium hydroxide can be used to remove carbon dioxide.
Use the following reaction: NaOH + CO2 → Na2CO3 + H2O

The astronauts have 2 days left before they land on Earth. You know that there are three astronauts, and each astronaut emits roughly 500. g Of carbon dioxide each day. Is there enough sodium hydroxide in the cabin to cleanse the cabin air of the carbon dioxide, or are the astronauts doomed?

Answer 1

Given the data from the question, the astronauts do not have enough sodium hydroxide in the cabin to cleanse the cabin air of the carbon dioxide.

How to determine the total CO₂

• CO₂ emitted per astronaut per day = 500 g
• CO₂ for 3 astronaut per day = 3 × 500 = 1500 g
• CO₂ for 3 astronaut for 2 days = 2 × 1500 = 3000 g

Balanced equation

2NaOH + CO₂ —>Na₂CO₃ + H₂O

Molar mass of NaOH = 40 g/mol

Mass of NaOH from the balanced equation = 2 × 40 = 80 g

Molar mass of CO₂ = 44 g/mol

Mass of CO₂ from the balanced equation = 1 × 44 = 44 g

SUMMARY

From the balanced equation above,

44 g of CO₂ required 80 g of NaOH

How to determine the mass of NaOH needed

From the balanced equation above,

44 g of CO₂ required 80 g of NaOH

Therefore,

3000 g of CO₂ will require = (3000 × 80) / 44 = 5454.55 g of NaOH

From the calculation made above, we can see that 5454.55 g of NaOH is needed by the astronaut to clean the cabin air but unfortunately, they only have 5000 g of NaOH.

Thus, we can conclude that the astronauts do not have enough NaOH to clean the air

Learn more about stoichiometry:

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