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Ch.3 - Chemical Reactions and Reaction Stoichiometry
Chapter 3, Problem 101

The fat stored in a camel's hump is a source of both energy and water. Calculate the mass of H2O produced by the metabolism of 1.0 kg of fat, assuming the fat consists entirely of tristearin 1C57H110O62, a typical animal fat, and assuming that during metabolism, tristearin reacts with O2 to form only CO2 and H2O.

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1
Write the balanced chemical equation for the metabolism of tristearin (C_{57}H_{110}O_6) with oxygen (O_2) to form carbon dioxide (CO_2) and water (H_2O).
Determine the molar mass of tristearin (C_{57}H_{110}O_6) by adding the atomic masses of all the atoms in the formula.
Calculate the number of moles of tristearin in 1.0 kg (1000 g) by dividing the mass of tristearin by its molar mass.
Use the stoichiometry of the balanced equation to find the number of moles of water (H_2O) produced per mole of tristearin metabolized.
Convert the moles of water obtained to mass by multiplying by the molar mass of water (H_2O).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions. It involves using balanced chemical equations to determine the relationships between the amounts of substances consumed and produced. In this case, stoichiometry will help us find the mass of water produced from the metabolism of tristearin by relating the fat's molecular composition to the products formed.
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Combustion of Tristearin

The combustion of tristearin (C57H110O6) involves its reaction with oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). This process is an example of a complete combustion reaction, where the fat is fully oxidized. Understanding the balanced equation for this reaction is crucial for calculating the amount of water produced from a given mass of fat.
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Molar Mass and Mass-to-Mole Conversions

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, expressed in grams per mole. To calculate the mass of water produced, we first need to convert the mass of tristearin into moles using its molar mass. Then, using the stoichiometric coefficients from the balanced equation, we can determine the moles of water produced and convert that back into grams for the final answer.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

An element X forms an iodide 1XI32 and a chloride 1XCl32. The iodide is quantitatively converted to the chloride when it is heated in a stream of chlorine: 2 XI3 + 3 Cl2¡2 XCl3 + 3 I2 If 0.5000 g of XI3 is treated with chlorine, 0.2360 g of XCl3 is obtained. (a) Calculate the atomic weight of the element X.

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Textbook Question

A method used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for determining the concentration of ozone in air is to pass the air sample through a 'bubbler' containing sodium iodide, which removes the ozone according to the following equation: O31g2 + 2 NaI1aq2 + H2O1l2¡ O21g2 + I21s2 + 2 NaOH1aq2 (a) How many moles of sodium iodide are needed to remove 5.95 * 10-6 mol of O3?

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Textbook Question

A method used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for determining the concentration of ozone in air is to pass the air sample through a 'bubbler' containing sodium iodide, which removes the ozone according to the following equation: O31g2 + 2 NaI1aq2 + H2O1l2¡ O21g2 + I21s2 + 2 NaOH1aq2 (b) How many grams of sodium iodide are needed to remove 1.3 mg of O3?

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Open Question
When hydrocarbons are burned in a limited amount of air, both CO and CO2 form. When 0.450 g of a particular hydrocarbon was burned in air, 0.467 g of CO, 0.733 g of CO2, and 0.450 g of H2O were formed. (a) What is the empirical formula of the compound? (b) How many grams of O2 were used in the reaction? (c) How many grams would have been required for complete combustion?
Textbook Question

A mixture of N21g2 and H21g2 reacts in a closed container to form ammonia, NH31g2. The reaction ceases before either reactant has been totally consumed. At this stage 3.0 mol N2, 3.0 mol H2, and 3.0 mol NH3 are present. How many moles of N2 and H2 were present originally?

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Textbook Question

A mixture containing KClO3, K2CO3, KHCO3, and KCl was heated, producing CO2, O2, and H2O gases according to the following equations: 2 KClO31s2¡2 KCl1s2 + 3 O21g2 2 KHCO31s2¡K2O1s2 + H2O1g2 + 2 CO21g2 K2CO31s2¡K2O1s2 + CO21g2 The KCl does not react under the conditions of the reaction. If 100.0 g of the mixture produces 1.80 g of H2O, 13.20 g of CO2, and 4.00 g of O2, what was the composition of the original mixture? (Assume complete decomposition of the mixture.) How many grams of K2CO3 were in the original mixture?

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