Chapter 3

Stoichiometry:
Calculations with Chemical Formulas and
Equations

Stoichiometry

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 Law of Conservation of Mass

“We may lay it down as an incontestable axiom

that, nothing is created; an equal amount of
matter exists both before and after the
experiment. Upon this principle, the whole art of
performing chemical experiments depends.”
--Antoine Lavoisier, 1789

Stoichiometry

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 Chemical Equations
Chemical equations are concise
representations of chemical reactions.

Stoichiometry

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 Anatomy of a Chemical Equation
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)

Stoichiometry

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 Anatomy of a Chemical Equation
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)

Reactants appear on the left side of the

equation. Stoichiometry

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 Anatomy of a Chemical Equation
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)

Products appear on the right side of the equation.

Stoichiometry

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 Anatomy of a Chemical Equation
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)

The states of the reactants and products are

written in parentheses to the right of each Stoichiometry
compound.
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 Anatomy of a Chemical Equation
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)

Coefficients are inserted to balance the equation.

Stoichiometry

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 Subscripts and Coefficients Give
Different Information

• Subscripts tell the number of atoms of each element in a

molecule.
Stoichiometry

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 Subscripts and Coefficients Give
Different Information

• Subscripts tell the number of atoms of each

element in a molecule
• Coefficients tell the number of molecules. Stoichiometry

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Balance this equation:
Na(s) + H2O(l) → NaOH(aq) + H2(g)

Stoichiometry

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Reaction Types

Stoichiometry

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 Combination Reactions

• In this type of
reaction two or
more substances
react to form one
product.

• Examples:
– 2 Mg (s) + O2 (g) ⎯⎯→ 2 MgO (s)
– N2 (g) + 3 H2 (g) ⎯⎯→ 2 NH3 (g)
– C3H6 (g) + Br2 (l) ⎯⎯→ C3H6Br2 (l) Stoichiometry

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 Decomposition Reactions

• In a decomposition one
substance breaks down
into two or more
substances.

• Examples:
– CaCO3 (s) ⎯⎯→ CaO (s) + CO2 (g)
– 2 KClO3 (s) ⎯⎯→ 2 KCl (s) + O2 (g)
– 2 NaN3 (s) ⎯⎯→ 2 Na (s) + 3 N2 (g) Stoichiometry

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 Combustion Reactions
• These are generally
rapid reactions that
produce a flame.
• Most often involve
hydrocarbons reacting
with oxygen in the air.

• Examples:
– CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) ⎯⎯→ CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)
– C3H8 (g) + 5 O2 (g) ⎯⎯→ 3 CO2 (g) + 4 H2O (g) Stoichiometry

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Formula
Weights
Stoichiometry

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 Formula Weight (FW)
• A formula weight is the sum of the atomic
weights for the atoms in a chemical
formula.
• So, the formula weight of calcium chloride,
CaCl2, would be
Ca: 1(40.1 amu)
+ Cl: 2(35.5 amu)
111.1 amu
• Formula weights are generally reported for
ionic compounds. Stoichiometry

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 Molecular Weight (MW)
• A molecular weight is the sum of the atomic
weights of the atoms in a molecule.
• For the molecule ethane, C2H6, the
molecular weight would be

C: 2(12.0 amu)
+ H: 6(1.0 amu)
30.0 amu

Stoichiometry

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Calculate the formula weight of (a) sucrose, C12H22O11 (table
sugar), and (b) calcium nitrate, Ca(NO3)2.

Stoichiometry

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 Percent Composition
One can find the percentage of the mass of a
compound that comes from each of the
elements in the compound by using this
equation:

(number of atoms)(atomic weight)

% element = x 100
(FW of the compound)

Stoichiometry

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 Percent Composition
So the percentage of carbon in ethane (C2H6) is…

(2)(12.0 amu)
%C =
(30.0 amu)
24.0 amu
= x 100
30.0 amu
= 80.0%

Stoichiometry

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Calculate the percentage of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (by
mass) in C12H22O11.

Stoichiometry

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Moles

Stoichiometry

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 Avogadro’s Number

• 6.02 x 1023
• 1 mole of 12C has a mass of 12 g.

Stoichiometry

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 Molar Mass
• By definition, a molar mass is the mass of 1
mol of a substance (i.e., g/mol).
– The molar mass of an element is the mass
number for the element that we find on the
periodic table.
– The formula weight (in amu’s) will be the same
number as the molar mass (in g/mol).

Stoichiometry

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 Using Moles

Moles provide a bridge from the molecular scale

to the real-world scale.

Stoichiometry

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 Mole Relationships

• One mole of atoms, ions, or molecules contains

Avogadro’s number of those particles.
• One mole of molecules or formula units contains
Avogadro’s number times the number of atoms or ions
of each element in the compound. Stoichiometry

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How many atoms are in 0.551 g of potassium (K) ?

How many H atoms are in 72.5 g of C3H8O ?

Stoichiometry

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 What is the mass in grams of 1.000 mol of glucose, C6H12O6?

Calculate the number of moles of glucose (C6H12O6) in 5.380 g of

C6H12O6.

Calculate the mass, in grams, of 0.433 mol of calcium nitrate.

Stoichiometry

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 Finding
Empirical
Formulas
Stoichiometry

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Calculating Empirical Formulas

One can calculate the empirical formula from the percent

composition.

Stoichiometry

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Calculating Empirical Formulas
The compound para-aminobenzoic acid (you may have seen
it listed as PABA on your bottle of sunscreen) is composed of
carbon (61.31%), hydrogen (5.14%), nitrogen (10.21%), and
oxygen (23.33%). Find the empirical formula of PABA.

Stoichiometry

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Calculating Empirical Formulas

Assuming 100.00 g of para-aminobenzoic acid,

C: 61.31 g x 1 mol = 5.105 mol C

12.01 g
1 mol
H: 5.14 g x = 5.09 mol H
1.01 g
1 mol
N: 10.21 g x = 0.7288 mol N
14.01 g
1 mol
O: 23.33 g x = 1.456 mol O
16.00 g

Stoichiometry

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 Calculating Empirical Formulas
Calculate the mole ratio by dividing by the smallest number
of moles:
5.105 mol
C: = 7.005  7
0.7288 mol

5.09 mol
H: = 6.984  7
0.7288 mol

0.7288 mol
N: = 1.000
0.7288 mol

1.458 mol
O: = 2.001  2
0.7288 mol Stoichiometry

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Calculating Empirical Formulas

These are the subscripts for the empirical formula:

C7H7NO2

Stoichiometry

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Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) contains 40.92% C, 4.58% H, and
54.50% O by mass. What is the empirical formula of ascorbic
acid?

Stoichiometry

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 Combustion Analysis

• Compounds containing C, H and O are routinely analyzed

through combustion in a chamber like this.
– C is determined from the mass of CO2 produced.
– H is determined from the mass of H2O produced.
– O is determined by difference after the C and H have been
determined.
Stoichiometry

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Elemental Analyses

Compounds
containing other
elements are
analyzed using
methods analogous to
those used for C, H
and O.

Stoichiometry

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 Stoichiometric Calculations

The coefficients in the balanced equation give the

ratio of moles of reactants and products.

Stoichiometry

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 Stoichiometric Calculations
Starting with the mass
of Substance A you
can use the ratio of the
coefficients of A and
B to calculate the mass
of Substance B formed
(if it’s a product) or
used (if it’s a
reactant).

Stoichiometry

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 Stoichiometric Calculations
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O

Starting with 1.00 g of C6H12O6…

we calculate the moles of C6H12O6…
use the coefficients to find the moles of H2O…
and then turn the moles of water to grams. Stoichiometry

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Limiting
Reactants
Stoichiometry

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How Many Cookies Can I Make?

• You can make cookies

until you run out of one
of the ingredients.
• Once this family runs out
of sugar, they will stop
making cookies (at least
any cookies you would
want to eat).

Stoichiometry

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How Many Cookies Can I Make?

• In this example the sugar

would be the limiting
reactant, because it will
limit the amount of
cookies you can make.

Stoichiometry

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 Limiting Reactants
• The limiting reactant is the reactant present in the
smallest stoichiometric amount.
– In other words, it’s the reactant you’ll run out of first (in
this case, the H2).

Stoichiometry

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 Limiting Reactants

In the example below, the O2 would be the excess reagent.

Stoichiometry

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Solid lithium hydroxide is used in space vehicles to remove the carbon dioxide
exhaled by astronauts. The lithium hydroxide reacts with gaseous carbon dioxide
to form solid lithium carbonate and liquid water. How many grams of carbon
dioxide can be absorbed by 1.00 g of lithium hydroxide?
2 LiOH(s) + CO2(g) → Li2CO3(s) + H2O(l)

Stoichiometry

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The most important commercial process for converting N2 from the air into
nitrogen-containing compounds is based on the reaction of N2 and H2 to form
ammonia (NH3):
N2(g) + 3 H2(g)→2 NH3(g)
How many moles of NH3 can be formed from 3.0 mol of N2 and 6.0 mol of H2?

Stoichiometry

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 Theoretical Yield
• The theoretical yield is the maximum
amount of product that can be made.
– In other words it’s the amount of product
possible as calculated through the stoichiometry
problem.
• This is different from the actual yield,
which is the amount one actually produces
and measures.
Stoichiometry

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 Percent Yield
One finds the percent yield by comparing
the amount actually obtained (actual yield)
to the amount it was possible to make
(theoretical yield).

Actual Yield
Percent Yield = x 100
Theoretical Yield
Stoichiometry

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