Aluminum oxide (used as an adsorbent or a catalyst for organic reactions) forms when aluminum reacts with oxygen.
4Al(s) + 3O₂(g) $\rightarrow$ 2Al₂O₃(s)
A mixture of 82.49 g of aluminum (? = 26.98 g/mol) and 117.65 g of oxygen (? = 32.00 g/mol) is allowed to react. What mass of aluminum oxide (? = 101.96 g/mol) can be formed?

Question

Aluminum oxide (used as an adsorbent or a catalyst for organic reactions) forms when aluminum reacts with oxygen.
4Al(s) + 3O₂(g)

\rightarrow

2Al₂O₃(s)
A mixture of 82.49 g of aluminum (? = 26.98 g/mol) and 117.65 g of oxygen (? = 32.00 g/mol) is allowed to react. What mass of aluminum oxide (? = 101.96 g/mol) can be formed?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced chemical equation shows that 4 moles of Al react with 3 moles of O2 to produce 2 moles of Al2O3. The molar mass of Al is 26.98 g/mol, and the molar mass of O2 is 32.00 g/mol. Therefore, 82.49 g of Al is equal to 82.49 g / 26.98 g/mol = 3.06 mol of Al, and 117.65 g of O2 is equal to 117.65 g / 32.00 g/mol = 3.68 mol of O2. Since 3.06 mol of Al reacts with 3.68 mol of O2, which is in a 4:3 ratio, Al is the limiting reactant. Therefore, the maximum mass of Al2O3 that can be formed is 3.06 mol of Al * (2 moles of Al2O3 / 4 moles of Al) * (101.96 g/mol of Al2O3) = 155.8 g of Al2O3.

Aluminum Oxide (Used as an Adsorbent or a Catalyst for Organic