Final answer:
The maximum mass of H₂O that can be produced from 8.6 g of CH₄ with excess O₂ is 19.31 grams.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating Maximum Mass of H₂O from CH₄ Reaction:
To calculate the maximum mass of H₂O that can be produced from 8.6 g of CH₄, we first need to use the molar mass of CH₄ to find out how many moles 8.6 g represents.
The molar mass of CH₄ (carbon has a molar mass of 12.01 g/mol and hydrogen has a molar mass of 1.008 g/mol) is 16.04 g/mol. Therefore, 8.6 g of CH₄ is 8.6 g / 16.04 g/mol = 0.536 moles of CH₄.
The reaction CH₄ + 2 O₂ → CO₂ + 2 H₂O shows that one mole of CH₄ produces two moles of H₂O. So, 0.536 moles of CH₄ will produce 0.536 * 2 = 1.072 moles of H₂O. Using the molar mass of H₂O, which is 18.015 g/mol, the mass of H₂O produced is 1.072 moles * 18.015 g/mol = 19.31 g.