Final answer:
To determine the mass of sodium needed to produce 12.5 g of sodium oxide, we calculate the moles of Na2O using its molar mass and then use stoichiometry and the molar mass of sodium to find the mass of sodium required.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to a chemical stoichiometry problem which involves converting a mass of sodium oxide (Na2O) to a mass of the reactant sodium (Na). To solve this, we must first understand the reaction that produces sodium oxide from sodium. The chemical equation for this reaction is: 4 Na + O2 → 2 Na2O. From this, we know that 4 moles of sodium produce 2 moles of sodium oxide.
Using the given molar mass of Na2O, which is 77.96 g/mol, we can calculate the moles of Na2O that correspond to 12.5 g: moles of Na2O = 12.5 g / 77.96 g/mol. We then use stoichiometry to find the moles of sodium required and convert that into grams using the molar mass of sodium, which is 22.99 g/mol. It is important to remember that sodium is highly reactive and must be handled with caution during experiments.
In any stoichiometry problem, it is crucial to follow the mole-to-mole relationships established by the balanced chemical equation. Care should be taken to ensure that all calculations are based on these stoichiometric ratios.