Question

Ammonium perchlorate NH4ClO4 is the solid rocket fuel used by the U.S. Space Shuttle. It reacts with itself to produce nitrogen gas N2 , chlorine gas Cl2 , oxygen gas O2 , water H2O , and a great deal of energy. What mass of water is produced by the reaction of 4.7g of ammonium perchlorate?

Answer 1

First, we write the balanced chemical equation for the phenomenon:

2NH₄ClO₄ → 4H₂O + N₂ + Cl₂ + 2O₂

We can see from the equation that the molar ratio between ammonium perchlorate and water is 1 : 2. We now calculate the moles of ammonium perchlorate:

Moles = mass / molecular weight
Moles = 4.7 / 117.5
Moles = 0.04

So the moles of water produced will be 2 * 0.04 = 0.08 mole

Mass of water = 0.08 * 18

1.44 grams of water will be produced