Final answer:
To combust 8.87 moles of C3H8, 44.35 moles of oxygen gas are required, according to the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical reaction for the combustion of propane.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many moles of oxygen gas are required to combust 8.87 moles of C3H8 (propane), we need a balanced chemical equation for the combustion of propane: C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O
This equation shows that 1 mole of C3H8 reacts with 5 moles of O2. Therefore, if you have 8.87 moles of C3H8, you can use a simple stoichiometric calculation to find the amount of oxygen needed:
8.87 moles of C3H8 × (5 moles of O2 / 1 mole of C3H8) = 44.35 moles of O2
So, 44.35 moles of oxygen gas are required to react with 8.87 moles of C3H8.