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Ch.3 - Mass Relationships in Chemical Reactions
Chapter 3, Problem 118

Element X, a member of group 5A, forms two chlorides, XCl3 and XCl5. Reaction of an excess of Cl2 with 8.729 g of XCl3 yields 13.233 g of XCl5. What is the atomic weight and the identity of the element X?

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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 quantities of substances consumed and produced. In this question, stoichiometry is essential for understanding how the mass of XCl3 relates to the mass of XCl5 formed during the reaction with Cl2.
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Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is calculated by summing the atomic weights of all atoms in a molecule. In this problem, determining the molar mass of XCl3 and XCl5 is crucial for finding the atomic weight of element X, as it allows for the conversion of mass measurements into moles.
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Group 5A Elements

Group 5A elements, also known as Group 15 in the periodic table, include nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth. These elements typically exhibit a range of oxidation states and can form various compounds, including chlorides. Understanding the properties and common oxidation states of Group 5A elements is important for identifying element X and predicting its behavior in reactions.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
When eaten, dietary carbohydrates are digested to yield glu-cose (C6H12O6), which is then metabolized to yield carbon dioxide and water: Balance the equation, and calculate both the mass in grams and the volume in liters of the CO2 produced from 66.3 g of glucose, assuming that 1 mol of CO2 has a volume of 25.4 L at normal body temperature.
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Textbook Question

A copper wire having a mass of 2.196 g was allowed to react with an excess of sulfur. The excess sulfur was then burned, yielding SO2 gas. The mass of the copper sulfide produced was 2.748 g. (a) What is the percent composition of copper sulfide?

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Textbook Question

A copper wire having a mass of 2.196 g was allowed to react with an excess of sulfur. The excess sulfur was then burned, yielding SO2 gas. The mass of the copper sulfide produced was 2.748 g. (b) What is its empirical formula?

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Textbook Question

Ammonium nitrate, a potential ingredient of terrorist bombs, can be made nonexplosive by addition of diammo-nium hydrogen phosphate, (NH4)2HPO4. Analysis of such a NH4NO3 - (NH4)2HPO4 mixture showed the mass percent of nitrogen to be 30.43%. What is the mass ratio of the two components in the mixture?

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Textbook Question
Window glass is typically made by mixing soda ash (Na2CO3), limestone (CaCO3), and silica sand (SiO2) and then heating to 1500 °C to drive off CO2 from the (Na2CO3) and CaCO3. The resultant glass consists of about 12% Na2O by mass, 13% CaO by mass, and 75% SiO2 by mass. How much of each reactant would you start with to prepare 0.35 kg of glass?
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Textbook Question
An unidentified metal M reacts with an unidentified halogen X to form a compound MX2. When heated, the compound decomposes by the reaction: When 1.12 g of MX2 is heated, 0.720 g of MX is obtained, along with 56.0 mL of X2 gas. Under the conditions used, 1.00 mol of the gas has a volume of 22.41 L. (a) What is the atomic weight and identity of the halogen X?
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