Final answer:
The exact mass of stuff coming out of a racecar's tailpipe would be more than the initial 150 grams of fuel due to the addition of oxygen and other compounds during combustion. A detailed chemical analysis is necessary to determine the precise mass of the exhaust.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of stuff that comes out of the tailpipe when a racecar runs out of fuel can be conceptualized by considering the law of conservation of mass. This law, foundational in chemistry, states that matter is neither created nor destroyed. Therefore, the mass of the exhaust should be equal to the mass of the fuel consumed if we assume the only source of the exhaust is the fuel. However, this is not entirely accurate because the fuel reacts with oxygen from the air, and the combustion process also produces gaseous byproducts such as carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and various other compounds.
In a practical sense, the mass of the stuff coming out of the tailpipe will be greater than the 150 grams of fuel put in due to the addition of oxygen from the air. But without detailed chemical analysis or assuming a specific type of fuel and complete combustion, giving a precise mass is not possible. Hence, to determine how much exhaust comes out of the tailpipe, a thorough understanding of the combustion process and the composition of the fuel is required.
It's worth noting that in reality, not all fuel gets converted into exhaust gases. Some of the input energy is converted into kinetic energy that propels the racecar, and there are also inefficiencies in the combustion process.