Air bags in cars inflate when an electrical spark activates sodium azide (NaN₃) so that it decomposes to sodium metal, Na, and nitrogen gas, N₂. In the balanced reaction equation, how many moles of nitrogen gas are formed for each mole of sodium azide?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced chemical equation for the decomposition of sodium azide is 2 NaN₃ → 2 Na + 3 N₂. This shows that 3 moles of nitrogen gas are produced from 2 moles of sodium azide, which means 1.5 moles of nitrogen gas are formed per mole of sodium azide.

Air Bags in Cars Inflate When an Electrical Spark Activates