Ethylene gas, C2H4, reacts with water at high temperature to yield ethyl alcohol, C2H6O. (a) How many grams of ethylene are needed to react with 0.133 mol of H2O? How many grams of ethyl alcohol will result? (b) How many grams of water are needed to react with 0.371 mol of ethylene? How many grams of ethyl alcohol will result?

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 consumed and produced in a reaction based on balanced chemical equations. Understanding stoichiometry is essential for determining how many grams of ethylene and ethyl alcohol are produced or required in the given reactions.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is crucial for converting between moles and grams in stoichiometric calculations. For example, knowing the molar masses of ethylene (C2H4), water (H2O), and ethyl alcohol (C2H6O) allows us to determine how many grams of each substance are involved in the reactions described in the question.

Balanced Chemical Equation

A balanced chemical equation represents a chemical reaction with equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. It is fundamental for stoichiometric calculations, as it provides the mole ratios needed to relate the amounts of reactants and products. In this case, the balanced equation for the reaction between ethylene and water is necessary to determine the relationships between ethylene, water, and ethyl alcohol in the calculations.