Question

Consider the following equation.

HBr + NaOH ---> NaBr + H₂O

if 20 moles of HBr are combined with 40 moles of NaOH, how many moles of H₂O can be produced?
A. 800 mol H
B. 40 mol H₂O
C. 20 mol H,
D. 60 mol H,

Answer 1

Given a one-to-one mole ratio in the reaction between HBr and NaOH, 20 moles of HBr can produce a maximum of 20 moles of H2O, as HBr is the limiting reactant.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked about a chemical reaction between hydrobromic acid (HBr) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and specifically, how many moles of water (H2O) can be produced given the amounts of reactants. From the balanced chemical equation provided:

HBr + NaOH → NaBr + H2O

We see that there is a one-to-one mole ratio between HBr and NaOH, as well as between HBr and the product, H2O. Given that 20 moles of HBr are reacted with 40 moles of NaOH, HBr is the limiting reactant because there are fewer moles of HBr than NaOH. Therefore, the maximum number of moles of H2O that can be produced is the same as the number of moles of HBr, which is 20 moles of H2O.