Final answer:
True, the oxygen pressure in oxyfuel cutting can be as high as 150 psig. To burn 9340 L of acetylene, one would need 4 tanks of oxygen, with each tank providing 7000 L of O₂, based on the stoichiometry of the combustion reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, the oxygen pressure required in oxyfuel gas cutting can reach as high as 150 psig (1050kPa) to properly oxidize the metal being cut. When dealing with oxyacetylene welding, a proper mixture of gases is essential. To answer the question: How many tanks of oxygen, each providing 7.00 × 10³ L of O₂ at 0 °C and 1 atm, will be required to burn 9340 L of acetylene gas, C₂H₂, at 0 °C and 1 atm, we use the balanced chemical equation for the combustion of acetylene:
2 C₂H₂ + 5 O₂ → 4 CO₂ + 2 H₂O
According to the equation, 2 volumes of acetylene require 5 volumes of oxygen for complete combustion. Therefore, 9340 L of C₂H₂ would need (9340 L / 2) × 5 = 23,350 L of O₂. Since each tank provides 7000 L of O₂, we need 23,350 L / 7000 L/tank ≈ 3.34 tanks. Since we cannot have a fraction of a tank, you would require 4 tanks of oxygen to ensure you have enough to fully combust the acetylene.