The hard ceramic boron carbide, B₄C, can be made the reaction of boron oxide, B₂O₃, with carbon in an arc furnace. How many grams of boron carbide can be made from 10.0 g of boron oxide?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is: 2B₂O₃ + 7C → B₄C + 6CO. The molar mass of B₂O₃ is approximately 69.62 g/mol, and the molar mass of B₄C is approximately 55.26 g/mol. From 10.0 g of B₂O₃, you can calculate the moles of B₂O₃, then use the stoichiometry of the reaction to find the moles of B₄C produced, and finally convert that to grams. This results in approximately 3.97 g of B₄C.

The Hard Ceramic Boron Carbide, B₄C, Can Be Made the Reaction