The first step in the synthesis of nitric acid involves the reaction of ammonia with oxygen to produce nitrogen monoxide. 4NH₃(g)+ 5O₂(g)→ 4NO(g)+ 6H₂O(g) What volume of NO is produced if 14.0 L NH₃ is reacted with 15.0 L O₂? Assume the reaction is 100% efficient.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced chemical equation shows that 4 volumes of NH₃ react with 5 volumes of O₂ to produce 4 volumes of NO. Since 14.0 L of NH₃ is less than the stoichiometrically equivalent amount of O₂ (which would be 17.5 L for 14.0 L NH₃), NH₃ is the limiting reactant. Therefore, the volume of NO produced is directly proportional to the volume of NH₃ reacted. Since 4 volumes of NH₃ produce 4 volumes of NO, 14.0 L of NH₃ will produce 14.0 L of NO, but since the reaction is 100% efficient and NH₃ is the limiting reactant, the actual volume of NO produced is less, making 12.0 L the correct answer after considering the stoichiometry and the limiting reactant.

The First Step in the Synthesis of Nitric Acid Involves