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Ch.5 - Gases
Chapter 5, Problem 107c

Olympic cyclists fill their tires with helium to make them lighter. Calculate the mass of air in an air-filled tire and the mass of helium in a helium-filled tire. Assume that the volume of the tire is 855 mL, that it is filled to a total pressure of 125 psi, and that the temperature is 25 °C. Also, assume an average molar mass for air of 28.8 g/mol. What is the mass difference between the two?

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Key Concepts

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

Ideal Gas Law

The Ideal Gas Law, represented as PV = nRT, relates the pressure (P), volume (V), and temperature (T) of a gas to the number of moles (n) and the ideal gas constant (R). This law is essential for calculating the number of moles of gas in the tire, which can then be converted to mass using the molar mass of the gas.
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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). In this question, the average molar mass of air (28.8 g/mol) and the molar mass of helium (approximately 4.0 g/mol) are crucial for determining the mass of the gases in the tire after calculating the number of moles using the Ideal Gas Law.
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Pressure Conversion

Pressure conversion is necessary to ensure that the pressure used in calculations is in the correct units. In this case, the pressure of 125 psi must be converted to a compatible unit, such as atmospheres or pascals, to apply the Ideal Gas Law effectively. Understanding how to convert between pressure units is vital for accurate calculations.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Ammonium nitrate decomposes explosively upon heating according to the balanced equation: 2 NH4NO3(s)¡2 N2( g) + O2( g) + 4 H2O( g) Calculate the total volume of gas (at 125 °C and 748 mmHg) produced by the complete decomposition of 1.55 kg of ammonium nitrate.

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Textbook Question

Olympic cyclists fill their tires with helium to make them lighter. Calculate the mass of air in an air-filled tire and the mass of helium in a helium-filled tire. Assume that the volume of the tire is 855 mL, that it is filled to a total pressure of 125 psi, and that the temperature is 25 °C. Also, assume an average molar mass for air of 28.8 g/mol. Calculate the mass of air in an air-filled tire.

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Textbook Question

Olympic cyclists fill their tires with helium to make them lighter. Calculate the mass of air in an air-filled tire and the mass of helium in a helium-filled tire. Assume that the volume of the tire is 855 mL, that it is filled to a total pressure of 125 psi, and that the temperature is 25 °C. Also, assume an average molar mass for air of 28.8 g/mol. Calculate the mass of helium in a helium-filled tire.

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Open Question
Gaseous ammonia is injected into the exhaust stream of a coal-burning power plant to reduce the pollutant NO to N2 according to the reaction: 4 NH3(g) + 4 NO(g) + O2(g) → 4 N2(g) + 6 H2O(g). Suppose that the exhaust stream of a power plant has a flow rate of 335 L/s at a temperature of 955 K, and that the exhaust contains a partial pressure of NO of 22.4 torr. What should be the flow rate of ammonia delivered at 755 torr and 298 K into the stream to react completely with the NO if the ammonia is 65.2% pure (by volume)?
Textbook Question

An ordinary gasoline can measuring 30.0 cm by 20.0 cm by 15.0 cm is evacuated with a vacuum pump. Assuming that virtually all of the air can be removed from inside the can and that atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi, what is the total force (in pounds) on the surface of the can? Do you think that the can could withstand the force?

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Open Question
Twenty-five milliliters of liquid nitrogen (density = 0.807 g/mL) is poured into a cylindrical container with a radius of 10.0 cm and a length of 20.0 cm. The container initially contains only air at a pressure of 760.0 mmHg (atmospheric pressure) and a temperature of 298 K. If the liquid nitrogen completely vaporizes, what is the total force (in lb) on the interior of the container at 298 K?