Final answer:
To produce 250.0 g of O2, one would need 15.625 moles of HgO based on the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation 2 HgO → 2 Hg + O2.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating the Moles of HgO Needed
To determine how many moles of HgO are needed to produce 250.0 g of O2, we first need to consider the balanced chemical equation for the decomposition of mercury(II) oxide (HgO). The reaction can be represented as:
2 HgO → 2 Hg + O2
From the balanced equation, we see that 2 moles of HgO produce 1 mole of O2. Next, we'll calculate the number of moles of O2 produced from the given mass:
Step 1: Given:
Mass of O2 = 250.0 g
Step 2: Molar mass of O2:
1 mole of O2 = 32.00 g
Step 3: Calculate the moles of O2:
250.0 g O2 × (1 mol O2 / 32.00 g O2) = 7.8125 moles of O2
Now, we use the stoichiometry from the balanced equation to find the moles of HgO needed:
Step 4: Convert moles of O2 to moles of HgO:
7.8125 moles of O2 × (2 moles HgO / 1 mole O2) = 15.625 moles of HgO
Therefore, to produce 250.0 g of oxygen gas, 15.625 moles of mercury(II) oxide (HgO) would be needed.