Final answer:
To find the mass of oxygen required to combust 10 g of propane, use stoichiometry based on the balanced chemical equation for propane combustion, which indicates that one mole of propane reacts with five moles of oxygen. The calculation reveals that 36.32 grams of oxygen are needed.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the mass of oxygen required to completely burn 10 g of propane, we need to start with the balanced chemical equation for the combustion of propane (C3H8):
C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O
This equation tells us that one mole of propane reacts with five moles of oxygen to produce three moles of carbon dioxide and four moles of water. We can use the molar mass of propane (44.10 g/mol) and oxygen (32.00 g/O2) to convert grams to moles and then use stoichiometry to calculate the required mass of oxygen.
- Calculate moles of propane: (10 g C3H8) / (44.10 g/mol) = 0.227 moles C3H8.
- Determine moles of required oxygen: 0.227 moles C3H8 × (5 moles O2/1 mole C3H8) = 1.135 moles O2.
- Calculate mass of required oxygen: 1.135 moles O2 × 32.00 g/mol = 36.32 grams of oxygen.
Therefore, the mass of oxygen gas required to completely burn 10 g of propane is 36.32 grams.