A mixture of FeO and Fe2O3 with a mass of 10.0 g is con-verted to 7.43 g of pure Fe metal. What are the amounts in grams of FeO and Fe2O3 in the original sample?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Define the chemical reactions involved: FeO + CO -> Fe + CO2 and Fe2O3 + 3CO -> 2Fe + 3CO2.
2. Let x be the mass of FeO and y be the mass of Fe2O3 in the original mixture. Set up the equation: x + y = 10.0 g.
3. Calculate the moles of Fe produced from FeO: (x / molar mass of FeO) * 1 mol Fe.
4. Calculate the moles of Fe produced from Fe2O3: (y / molar mass of Fe2O3) * (2 mol Fe / 1 mol Fe2O3).
5. Set up the equation for total moles of Fe produced: (moles of Fe from FeO) + (moles of Fe from Fe2O3) = 7.43 g / molar mass of Fe. Solve the system of equations to find x and y.

Key Concepts

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows us to calculate the amounts of substances involved based on balanced chemical equations. In this problem, stoichiometry will help determine how much FeO and Fe2O3 were present in the original mixture based on the mass of Fe produced.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is essential for converting between the mass of a substance and the number of moles, which is crucial in stoichiometric calculations. For this question, knowing the molar masses of FeO and Fe2O3 will allow us to relate the masses of these compounds to the mass of Fe produced.

Redox Reactions

Redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions involve the transfer of electrons between substances, resulting in changes in oxidation states. In this context, FeO and Fe2O3 are reduced to form Fe metal. Understanding the redox process is vital for determining how the original iron oxides convert to iron, which is necessary for solving the problem of finding the initial amounts of FeO and Fe2O3.