Unit 5: Gases
Stoichiometry of Gaseous Reactions
In a chemical reaction, gases are often reactants or products. Hence,
understanding the properties of gases becomes very important. The important
steps to remember while performing stoichiometric calculations are:
Step 1: Know how to write and balance a chemical equation.
Step 2: Convert the given amount of reactants or products to moles.
Step 3: Derive the mole ratio.
moles desired
mole ratio =
moles given
Step 4: Multiply the mole ratio by the quantity of moles given (or
calculated) in the problem. In gaseous reactions, use the Ideal Gas Law
PV = nRT to calculate the property in question.
Note: In some examples, you may have to use PV = nRT first, to calculate “n”
and then follow the four steps.
Example 1: Calculate the mass of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) used to
produce 2.00 L of O2 gas at 25.00 oC and 1.00 atm according to
the equation.
2 H2 O 2 → O 2 + 2 H2 O
Use the ideal gas law to calculate the moles of oxygen.
P = 1.00 atm
V = 2.00 L
n = to be calculated
R = 0.0821 L.atm.mol-1.K-1
T = 298.15 K
P×V 1.00 atm × 2.00 L
n = = = 0.0817 mol O 2
R × T 0.0821 L.atm
× 298.15 K
K.mol
In order to calculate the number of moles of H2O2, use the four steps.
2 mol H2 O 2
× 0.0817 mol O 2 = 0.1634 mol H2 O 2
1 mol O 2
However, the problem asks for the mass of H2O2. Mass = moles x molar mass
Mass = 0.1634 mol x 34.0 g/mol = 5.56 g H2O2
Example 2: Calculate the volume of SO2 gas produced at 25.00 oC and 1.00
atm by burning 20.0 g of S8 oxygen.
S8 (s) + 8 O2 (g) 8 SO2 (g)
In order to calculate the number of moles of SO2 use the four steps.
20.0 g
moles S 8 = = 0.0779 mol S 8
256.8 g/mol
8 mol SO 2
mole ratio = from the balanced reaction
1 mol S 8
8 mol SO 2
× 0.0779 mol S 8 = 0.623 mol SO 2
1 mol S 8
P = 1.00 atm
V = to be calculated
n = 0.623 mol
T = 25.00 oC = 298.15 K
L.atm
R = 0.0821
K.mol
L.atm
0.623 mol × 0.0821 × 298.15 K
nRT K.mol
V= =
P 1.00 atm
V = 15.2 L
Partial Pressures in Gas Mixtures
Ideal Gas law also applies to gas mixtures. Each gas exerts its own pressure.
This is called the partial pressure of that gas.
Consider a gas mixture containing gases A and B in a container of volume V at
temperature T. For gases A and B, PA = nART/V and PB = nBRT/V
PA is the partial pressure of component A.
PB is the partial pressure of component B.
PTotal = nTotalRT/V
RT n RT n RT
PTotal = (n A + nB ) = A + B
V V V
PTotal = PA + PB
This is the Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures. “In a mixture of gases, the total
pressure is the sum of the partial pressures of the mixture’s components.”
Example 1: A 1.00 g sample of dry air consists of 0.77 g Nitrogen (N2) and
0.23 g Oxygen (O2). Calculate the partial pressure of O2 and
N2 (in atm) assuming a volume of 1.00 L and temperature of
25.00 oC. Calculate the total pressure.
The ideal gas law requires the use of moles.
Transform mass to moles to calculate the partial pressure of N2.
0.77 g
nN 2 = = 0.0275 mol
28 g/mol
V = 1.00 L
T = 25.00 oC = 298.15 K
L.atm
R = 0.0821
K.mol
L.atm
0.0275 mol × 0.0821 × 298.15 K
PN2 = K.mol
1.00 L
PN 2 = 0.67 atm
Transform mass to moles to calculate the partial pressure of O2.
0.23 g
n O2 = = 0.00718 mol
32 g/mol
V = 1.00 L
T = 25.00 oC = 298.15 K
L.atm
R = 0.0821
K.mol
L.atm
0.00718 mol × 0.0821 × 298.15 K
PO 2 = K.mol
1.00 L
PO2 = 0.18 atm
PTotal = 0.67 + 0.18 = 0.85 atm
When a gas is collected by bubbling through water, it has vapor pressure
associated with it. Dalton’s law can be applied to the collected gas as:
PTotal = Pgas + PH2O
PH2O is the vapor pressure of liquid water. A table gives the values of water
vapor pressure at different temperatures.
Example 2: 160 mL of hydrogen gas at 760. mm Hg is collected over water
at 25 deg.C. Calculate the partial pressure of hydrogen gas.
PH2O = 23.76 mmHg (value obtained from the Table)
PTotal = 760. mmHg
760. mm Hg = Pgas + 23.76 mm Hg
Pgas = 736 mm Hg
Mole Fractions
Mole fraction is a quantity that is used to represent the composition of a mixture.
We have already talked about molarity of a solute (moles of solute per liter of
solution).
Mole fraction is defined by:
nA
X A = mole fraction of component A in a mixture (A,B) =
n A + nB
nA nB
XA = and XB =
n A + nB n A + nB
XA + XB = 1 XB = 1 - XA
RT RT
PTotal = n Total = (n A + nB )
V V
RT
PA = n A
V
RT
nA
PA V nA
= =
PTotal RT n A + nB
(n A + nB )
V
PA
= XA
PTotal
PA = XA PTotal
Example 1: Analysis of dry air, when the barometric pressure is 760 Torr,
shows mole fractions of nitrogen and oxygen to be 0.781 and 0.219,
respectively. Calculate the partial pressures of nitrogen and oxygen.
PTotal = 760 Torr X N2 = 0.781
PN2 = 760 Torr x 0.781 = 594 Torr
PTotal = 760 Torr X O2 = 0.219
P O2 = 760 Torr x 0.219 = 166 Torr
Verification: According to Dalton’s Law PTotal = PN2 + P O2
PTotal = 594 Torr + 166 Torr
PTotal = 760 Torr
Example 2: A gas mixture contains 3.0 mol N2, and 2.0 mol O2. Calculate
the mole fraction of each component.
nTotal = 3.0 mol N2 + 2.0 mol O2
= 5.0 mol
3.0 mol N2
XN2 = = 0.60
5.0 mol
2.0 mol O 2
X O2 = = 0.40
5.0 mol
Note: “In a gas mixture, the sum of mole fractions is always equal to one”.
In this example: 0.60 + 0.40 = 1.00
