Determine whether TNT (C₇H₅N₃O₆) has a negative, neutral, or positive oxygen balance.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The oxygen balance of a compound is a measure of the degree to which the oxygen present in the compound can oxidize the other elements in the compound, particularly carbon to carbon dioxide, hydrogen to water, etc., based on their stoichiometric ratios. For TNT (Trinitrotoluene), the formula can be simplified to C7H5N3O6. To determine the oxygen balance, we calculate the oxygen's ability to oxidize the other elements present. The complete oxidation of 1 mole of carbon to CO2 requires 2 moles of O2, and the complete oxidation of 1 mole of hydrogen to H2O requires 0.5 moles of O2. Nitrogen does not contribute to the oxygen balance in this context. For TNT, the oxygen present (6 moles of O per mole of TNT) is not enough to fully oxidize the 7 moles of C and 5 moles of H present to CO2 and H2O, respectively. Therefore, TNT has a negative oxygen balance, indicating that it has less oxygen than is needed to completely oxidize the carbon and hydrogen it contains.

Determine Whether TNT (C7H5N3O6) Has a Negative, Neutral, or Positive

Determine Whether TNT (C₇H₅N₃O₆) Has a Negative, Neutral, or Positive