Question

The theoretical yield of a reaction is the amount of product obtained if the limiting reactant is completely converted to the product. Consider the reaction:

2SO2(g) +O2(g)→2SO3(g)
If 6.740 g of SO2 is mixed with 17.38 g of O2, calculate the theoretical yield (g) of SO3 produced by the reaction.

a) 14.06 g
b) 20.12 g
c) 28.12 g
d) 34.18 g

Answer 1

To find the theoretical yield of SO3, SO2 is determined to be the limiting reactant based on moles from the given masses. The theoretical yield is calculated using stoichiometry and the molar masses, resulting in a yield that does not match the provided answer options.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the theoretical yield of SO3 produced in the reaction 2SO2(g) + O2(g) → 2SO3(g), we need to identify the limiting reactant and use stoichiometry. First, we will convert the mass of SO2 and O2 to moles using their molar masses (SO2 = 64.07 g/mol, O2 = 32 g/mol):

• 6.740 g SO2 * (1 mol SO2 / 64.07 g SO2) = 0.1052 mol SO2
• 17.38 g O2 * (1 mol O2 / 32 g O2) = 0.5431 mol O2

For every 2 moles of SO2, 1 mole of O2 is required. So, we compare the moles of SO2 with half the moles of O2 to find the limiting reactant:

• 0.1052 mol SO2 requires 0.0526 mol O2 (half of 0.1052 mol)
• 0.5431 mol O2 is available, which is more than required

Hence, SO2 is the limiting reactant.

Now we will calculate the theoretical yield of SO3 using the stoichiometry of the reaction (1:1 ratio with SO2):

• 0.1052 mol SO2 * (2 mol SO3 / 2 mol SO2) * (80.07 g SO3 / 1 mol SO3) = 8.4204 g SO3

Therefore, the theoretical yield of SO3 is 8.4204 g, none of the answer options given match this value. The closest answer would be (a) 14.06 g, but it is not accurate according to the calculation.