STOICHIOMETRY
STOICHIOMETRY
I, Prof. J. A. O. Oyekunle [Room 117, Dept. of Chemistry, OAU, Ile-Ife, Nigeria], welcome you back from a year-long out of classroom
learning. Remember we started STOICHIOMETRY as a topic, but we had barely started before the lock down comenced on 27th March,
2020. Meanwhile, I like to remind you that so far , we were able to (1) define stoichiometry, (2) explain what is meant by “chemical
equations”, (3) interpret equations and balance their various forms, and (4) rigorously tackled the Mole Concept. Effectively this
week, we are starting with Limiting Reagents. However, what had been previously taught are equally available in the next slides.
Topic (Stoichiometry) Description
Stoichiometry is one of the broad topics in CHM 101 (Introductory Chemistry I). It is meant to develop in students the basic ability to
efficiently carry out “Chemical Arithmetic” upon which sound and logical conclusions of chemical reactions involving mass, volumes,
moles and related interpretations are based.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Students should develop a sense of competent ability to solve basic stoichiometric calculations in Chemistry and stop nursing any
form of fear that has hitherto crippled their ingenuity at handling basic calculations in Chemistry.
Specific Objectives for Stoichiometry
(2) interpret chemical equations at the molecular, molar and mass levels;
(7) state the various types of volumetric analysis and handle calculations involving them;
(9) carry out calculations involving Empirical and Molecular Formulae; and
(10) balance redox equations and solve problems on the basis of the balanced redox equations
STOICHIOMETRY (Pronounced: “stoy-key-om'e-tree”)
- Prof. J. A. O. Oyekunle [Room 117, Dept. of Chemistry, OAU, Ile-Ife, Nigeria]
Definition: Stoichiometry is the quantitative determination of the reactants and products in a chemical reaction
based on a balanced chemical equation.
Chemical Equations.
A chemical equation is the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction in terms of chemical formulae. It is a
shorthand method of representing a chemical reaction e. g. A + B → C + D
That is, one mole of A reacts with one mole of B to give (or produce) one mole of C and one mole of D. For example,
in the Haber process for producing ammonia (NH3), nitrogen reacts with hydrogen, at high temperature and
pressure as follows:
N2(g) + 3H2(g) → 2NH3(g)
Interpretations of Chemical Equations: A chemical equation may be interpreted in terms of number of the molecules
or ions or formula units or moles, depending on the needs. For example, the equation above can variously be
interpreted as follows:
(1) Molecular interpretation: 1 molecule of N2 reacts with 3 molecules of H2 to give 2 molecules of NH3 .
(2) Molar interpretation: 1 mole of N2 reacts with 3 moles of H2 to give 2 moles of NH3 .
(3) Mass Interpretation: 28 g of N2 reacts with 6 g H2 to give 34 g NH3 .
NOTE: In many cases, it is useful to indicate the states or phases of the substances in an equation e. g. 2Na(s) + Cl2(g)
→ 2NaCl(s).
Exercise
Ethylene (C2H4) burns in oxygen to give CO 2 and H2O. Write the balanced equation for the reaction, giving
molecular, molar and mass interpretations below the equation.
Balancing Chemical Equations
A balanced chemical equation is one in which the number of atoms of each element are equal on both sides of the
arrow. That is, a balanced chemical equation obeys the Law of Conservation of Mass (Matter).
Balancing a chemical equation can be done by: (a) Inspection Method and (b) Algebraic (Simultaneous Equation)
Method.
(a) Inspection Method. This method is used for simple chemical equations that can be balanced by mere logical
observations.
Rules to Follow
(i) Determine those substances that are reactants and those that are products.
(ii) Write out the correct formulae for the participating species.
(iii) Select coefficients that will make the numbers of atoms of each element equal on both sides of the equation.
(iv) Finally, check your work by counting the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation to
ensure their conservation.
Example 1
Write a balanced chemical equation for the complete combustion of methane in oxygen.
Solution:
Step I: Represent the information using the formulae of reactants and products:
CH4(g) + O 2(g) → CO 2(g) + H2O (l)
Step II: By inspection, insert the appropriate coefficients:
CH4(g) + 2O 2(g) → CO 2(g) + 2H2O (l)
Note: (1) The use of subscripts to effect the balancing of atoms is NOT allowed. For example,
BaCl2(aq) + Na2SO 4(aq) → BaSO 4(s) + 2NaCl (CORRECT)
BaCl2(aq) + Na2SO 4(aq) → BaSO 4(s)+Na2Cl2 (WRONG)
(2) It is always helpful to start the balancing process with an element that appears only once the reactant one on
right sides of the equation.
Example 2
Balance the following equation: C2H6O + O 2 → CO 2 + H2O.
Procedure:
(i) Put coefficients a, b, c, …, in front of each chemical formulae, starting from reactants to products.
(ii) Form mathematical relationships for each element in the chemical equation such that the LHS = RHS.
(iii) Assume the first letter to be unity and then determine the values of other letters.
Example
Balance the following chemical equations:
1. C3 H5(NO 3 )3(s) → N2(g)+ CO 2(g)+ H2O (l)
2. K4Fe(CN)6 + H2SO 4 + H2O → K2SO 4 + (HN4)2SO 4 + CO + FeSO 4
1. aC3 H5(NO 3 )3 → bN2 + cO 2 + dCO 2 + eH2O
Thus for:
C: 3a = d --------- (i)
H: 5a = 2e ---------- (ii)
N: 3a = 2b ---------- (iii)
O: 9a = 2c + 2d + e ---------- (iv)
Let a = 1
i.e. 9 = 2c + 6 +
i.e. 2c = 9 – 6 - 2½ = ½
:- c = ¼
A mole (symbol = mol) is the quantity of a substance that contains as many elementary particles (atoms, molecules,
ions, electrons, protons, etc) as the number of atoms in exactly 12 g of C-12.
The number of atoms in a 12-g sample of 12C is 6.02 x 1023. This value is called Avogadro’s number, NA. For example,
a mole of Na2CO 3 weighs 106 g and contains 6.02 x 1023 Na2CO 3 units. But each formula unit of Na2CO 3 contains two
Na+ ions and one ion. Therefore, a mole of Na2CO 3 also contains 2 x 6.02 x 1023 Na+ ions and 1 x 6.02 x 1023 ions.
When using the mole, it is important to specify the form (atoms, molecules, ions, etc) of the substance being
referred to in order to avoid misunderstanding. For ex., a mole of oxygen atoms weighing 16 g contains 6.02 x 1023
atoms; a mole of oxygen molecules (32 g) contains 6.02 x 1023 O 2 molecules i.e 2 x 6.02 x 1023 O atoms. Similarly,
one mole of any gas at s.t.p. occupies a volume of 22.4 dm3. Thus, if the volume of any gas is 22.4 dm3 at s.t.p,
there are 6.02 x 1023 particles (molecules) of that gas in the given volume. Also, one mole of electrons corresponds
to one Faraday (96500C).
Solution
(a) The molar mass of Cl = 35.5 g/mol.
But there are 6.02 x 1023 atoms in 1 mole
i.e. 6.02 x1023 atoms of Cl = 35.5 g
:- 1 atom of Cl = (35.5 x 1/ 6.02 x1023 ) g = 5.90x10-23 g
Exercise
Determine the mass of 1 molecule of ethanol [H = 1.0, C = 12.0, O = 16.0]
Convesion Factor Technique (Dimensional Analaysis) in Mole Concept Calculations
Conversion factor method is very useful when questions such as: how much does a given number of moles of a
substance weigh?; how many moles of a given formula unit does a given mass of a substance contain?
Consider ethanol (C2H5OH) with molar mass 46.1 g/mol, for example. Since 1 mol C2H5OH = 46.1 g C2H5OH, the factor
converting g C2H5OH to mol C2H5OH is 1 mol C2H5OH/46.1 g C2H5OH.
Also, to convert moles of ethanol to grams of ethanol, we simply invert the conversion factor thus: 46.1 g C2H5OH/1
mol C2H5OH.
NOTE: When converting from one unit to the other, the unit you are converting to is on the top, while the unit you
are converting from is on the bottom of the conversion factor.
Example I:
1. How many moles of C2H5OH is 10.0 g of C2H5OH
Solution:
10 g C2H5OH → moles C2H5OH
Since 46.1 g C2H5OH ≡ 1 mole C2H5OH,
We have: 10 g C2H5OH x 1 mol C2H5OH/46.1 g C2H5OH = 0.217 mol C2H5OH
2. How many grams of zinc iodide is 0.0654 mol zinc? [Zn = 65.41; I = 126.90]
Solution:
Molar mass of ZnI2 = 319.21 g/mol
:- 0.0654 mol ZnI2 x 319.21 g ZnI2/1 mol ZnI2 = 20.88 g ZnI2
Exercise
1. What is the mass of hydrogen peroxide in 0.909 M of hydrogen peroxide?
2. Calculate the mass in grams of 38 mol (NH4)2S.
3. How many moles of lead(II) chromate, PbCrO 4, can we have in 45.6 g of it given that the
molar mass of PbCrO 4 is 323 g/mol?
Solution:
First convert g HCl to moles and then convert the moles HCl to number of molecules:
3.46 g HCl x 1 mol HCl/36.5 g HCl x 6.02 x 1023 HCl molecules/1 mol HCl = 5.71 x 1022 HCl molecules
Exercise
1. atoms in 8.21 g Li
3. molecules in 45 g NH3
4. atoms in 45 g of NH3
2. Acetic acid, CH3 COOH, can be produced by bubbling oxygen gas into acetaldehyde, CH3 CHO, in the presence of
manganese(II) acetate (catalyst) under pressure at 60oC. If 20.0 g CH3CHO and 10.0 g O 2 were put into a reaction
vessel, (a)
how many grams of acetic acid will be produced? (b) how many grams of the excess reactant remain after the
reaction is
3. Free Fe is obtained from haematite, Fe2O 3, by reacting the ore with CO in a Blast furnace. How many grams of Fe
can be
Complexometric Titration. In this procedure, ions are titrated to form a soluble slightly dissociated ion or compound
e.g.
(i) AgNO 3(aq) + 2CN- → [Ag(CN)2]-
(ii) Hg2+(aq) + 2Cl-(aq) → HgCl2
(iii) Mg2+ + H2EDTA +H2O MgEDTA + 2H3 O +
Many chemical reactions involve mixing two solutions together. To perform stoichiometric calculations in such
cases, we must know two things:
(1) The nature of the reaction, which depends on the exact forms the chemicals take when dissolved.
(2) The amounts of chemicals present in the solutions; that is, the composition of each solution, implying that the
solution(s) must be standard. A standard solution is a solution of precisely known concentration.
The concentration of a solution can be described in many different ways, namely: Molarity (molar concentration),
Mass concentration, Normality, %v/v, %w/v, ppb, ppm, etc. Molar concentration (Molarity) and mass concentration
are the most commonly used expressions of concentration.
A solution that is 1.0 molar (written as 1.0 M) contains 1.0 mole of solute per dm3 (or litre) of solution.
Example
Calculate the molarity of a solution prepared by bubbling 2.56 g HCl gas into enough water to make 26.8 mL of
solution.
Solution:
Molarity = moles of solute/litres of solution = (1.56 g/36.5 g) HCl ÷ (26.8/1000) L = 1.59 M HCl
Exercise
1. Calculate the molar concentration of 9.25 g H2SO 4 acid in 750 cm3 solution [H = 1.0; O = 16.0; S = 32.0]
2. What is the molar concentration of a solution containing 1.06 g of anhydrous Na2CO 3 in 250 cm3 solution? [C = 12,
O = 16, Na =23]
Stoichiometry of Dilution Process: Preparation of Standard Solutions from Stock Solution
Routinely used solutions are often available in concentrated forms called stock solutions. In a process called
dilution, water is added to achieve the desired molarity for a particular solution.
In a typical dilution process, since only water is added to an amount of stock solution to achieve a solution of
desired concentration, and no loss of solute, then:
Moles of solute before dilution = Moles of solution after dilution
i.e. (MV)1 = (MV)2
or M1V1 = M2V2
whereM1 = molar concentration of solution before dilution
V1 = Vol of concentration solution required to achieve desired dilution
M2 = Molar concentration of solution after dilution
V2 = Volume of the diluted solution
Example I
How would you prepare 200 cm3 of 6M HCl acid from the concentration stock HCl acid having on its label: 37% HCl
Solution
Since it is 37% pure HCl, then 1 cm3 HCl = 37/100 x 1.18 g HCl = 0.44 g HCl
Therefore, 1000 cm3 (1 dm3 ) HCl = 0.012 x 1000/1 = 12.0 mol dm-3 HCl = 12.0 M HCl.
Alternatively, the formula below can be used:
Ms = (Assay x s.g. x 10)/Molar mass
where Ms = molar concentration of the stock acid
Assay = % composition of the acid
s.g. = density
:- Ms = (37 x 1.18 x 10)/36.5 = 12 M HCl (as before)
By dilution principle: M1V1 = M2V2 (Note: M1= Ms)
:- 12.0 x V1 = 6 x 200 cm3 which yields V1 = 100 cm3
Thus, 100 cm3 is made up to 200 cm3 in a volumetric flask using distilled water. The usual practice is to add acid to
water.
Example II
What is the molar concentration of a solution prepared by adding 50.0 mL of 0.25 M NaOH to 25.0 mL of 0.10 M
NaOH?
Solution:
From: M = n/V
We have n = MV
2. What vol. of 11.7 M H2SO 4 would you dilute in a 250 cm3 volumetric flask to make a 0.20 M solution?
3. What is the strength of a solution prepared by mixing a 0.250 dm3 of 0.35 M NaOH with 0.150 dm3 of 0.45 M NaOH?
4. What volume of the stock solution is required to prepare 500 mL of 1.0 M C2H4O 2 (acetic acid) from a 17.5 M stock
5. What volume of water will be required to make 250 mL of 0.20 M H2SO 4 from the stock acid having a
concentration of 11.7 M?
Example III
How would you prepare 500 cm3 of 2.0 M solution of Na2CO 3 solution from its anhydrous salt? [C = 12, O = 16, Na =
23]
Solution:
This amount (106 g Na2CO 3) is weighed and dissolved in about 200 cm3 distilled water, poured into a 500 cm3
volumetric flask and made up to 500 cm3 mark using distilled water.
Exercise
How much solid K Cr O must be weighed out to make 1.00 L of an aqueous 0.200 M K Cr O solution? [K Cr O =