The balanced equation for the combustion of ethanol (C2H5OH) in oxygen (O2) is:
C2H5OH + 3 O2 → 2 CO2 + 3 H2O
To determine the mass of ethanol that could burn in 100 g of oxygen, we need to use the stoichiometry of the equation. The ratio of ethanol to oxygen in the equation is 1:3, so for every 1 g of ethanol, 3 g of oxygen are required. So, 100 g of oxygen would be enough to burn 33.33 g of ethanol