Final answer:
From 72 grams of magnesium, 281.42 grams of magnesium chloride can theoretically be produced using stoichiometry and the molar masses of Mg and MgCl₂.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the mass of magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) that can be produced from 72g of magnesium (Mg), we use stoichiometry. First, we must determine the number of moles of magnesium. The molar mass of magnesium is 24.31 grams per mole, so 72 grams of magnesium is equal to:
72g Mg × (1 mol Mg / 24.31 g Mg) ≈ 2.96 moles of Mg.
According to the balanced chemical equation Mg + Cl₂ → MgCl₂, one mole of magnesium reacts with one mole of chlorine gas to produce one mole of magnesium chloride. Since chlorine is unlimited and magnesium is the limiting reactant, we can directly convert the moles of magnesium to moles of magnesium chloride.
2.96 moles of Mg = 2.96 moles of MgCl₂ (because the atomic ratio of Mg atoms to Cl atoms in the product is 1:1).
Now, we convert moles of magnesium chloride to grams using the molar mass of magnesium chloride, which is 95.21 grams per mole:
2.96 moles of MgCl₂ × (95.21 g MgCl₂ / 1 mol MgCl₂) ≈ 281.42 grams of MgCl₂.
Therefore, 72 grams of magnesium can theoretically produce 281.42 grams of magnesium chloride.