Final answer:
The mass of hydrogen used was calculated to be 1.798 × 107 g, resulting in 8.99 × 106 moles of hydrogen. Using the heat of formation for gaseous water, the energy released was found to be -2.1758 × 109 kJ.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how much energy was released when the hydrogen completely burned to form gaseous water inside the Hindenburg airship, we must first calculate the mass of the hydrogen. Once we have the mass, we can use the heat of formation of gaseous water to calculate the energy released.
The Hindenburg had a volume of 2.000 × 108 L of hydrogen at 1 atm and 0° C. Using the density of hydrogen gas, which is 0.0899 g/L, the mass can be found by multiplying the volume by the density.
Mass of H2 = Volume × Density = 2.000 × 108 L × 0.0899 g/L = 1.798 × 107 g
To find the energy released, we use the heat of formation of gaseous water (steam) which is -242 kJ/mol. First, we convert the mass of hydrogen to moles using its molar mass (1 g/mol for hydrogen gas H2 since it's diatomic).
Moles of H2 = Mass/Molar mass = 1.798 × 107 g / 2 g/mol = 8.99 × 106 mol
Energy released = Moles of H2 × Heat of formation = 8.99 × 106 mol × -242 kJ/mol = -2.1758 × 109 kJ