Final answer:
To produce fifteen molecules of CO₂ through the combustion of C₅H₁₂, twenty-four molecules of O₂ are needed.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many molecules of O₂ are needed to produce fifteen molecules of CO₂ through the combustion of C₅H₁₂, we can use the balanced chemical equation. The balanced equation for the combustion of C₅H₁₂ is:
C₅H₁₂ + 8O₂ → 5CO₂ + 6H₂O
From the equation, we can see that 8 molecules of O₂ are needed to produce 5 molecules of CO₂. Therefore, to produce 15 molecules of CO₂, we would need to multiply both the reactant and product coefficients by 3, resulting in:
3C₅H₁₂ + 24O₂ → 15CO₂ + 18H₂O
So, 24 molecules of O₂ are needed to produce 15 molecules of CO₂ through the combustion of C₅H₁₂.