By analyzing the balanced chemical equation, calculating the moles of reactants and products based on their stoichiometry, and utilizing the molar masses, we were able to determine the mass of lithium hydroxide formed in the reaction. This demonstrates the application of stoichiometric principles to solve chemical problems involving mass and mole conversions.
The scenario presented involves a chemical reaction between lithium nitride and water, where lithium hydroxide is produced. To calculate the mass of lithium hydroxide formed, we need to employ stoichiometry, a fundamental concept in chemistry that relates the quantities of reactants and products in a balanced chemical equation.
1. Analyze the Balanced Equation:
The provided equation, Li3N + 3H2O → NH3 + 3LiOH, indicates that:
1 molecule of lithium nitride (Li3N) reacts with 3 molecules of water (H2O).
1 molecule of lithium nitride produces 3 molecules of lithium hydroxide (LiOH).
2. Calculate Moles of Lithium Nitride:
We know the mass of lithium nitride used is 0.38 grams (g). To relate mass to moles, we need the molar mass of lithium nitride. The molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, and for Li3N, it is approximately 34.82 g/mol. Therefore, the number of moles of lithium nitride (n) is:
n(Li3N) = mass(Li3N) / molar mass(Li3N) = 0.38 g / 34.82 g/mol ≈ 0.011 moles
3. Determine Moles of Lithium Hydroxide:
Since the stoichiometric ratio between Li3N and LiOH is 1:3, the number of moles of lithium hydroxide produced (n) is three times the number of moles of lithium nitride:
n(LiOH) = 3 * n(Li3N) = 3 * 0.011 moles ≈ 0.033 moles
4. Calculate the Mass of Lithium Hydroxide:
Finally, we can calculate the mass of lithium hydroxide formed using its molar mass (23.95 g/mol):
mass(LiOH) = n(LiOH) * molar mass(LiOH) = 0.033 moles * 23.95 g/mol ≈ 0.789 g
Therefore, approximately 0.789 grams of lithium hydroxide will be produced when 0.38 grams of lithium nitride reacts with water according to the given equation.