Calcium oxide, or lime, is produced by the thermal decomposition of limestone in the following reaction. What mass of lime can be produced from #1.5 x 10^3# kg of limestone?

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1 Answer
anor277
Jul 7, 2017

Approx. #850*"tonnes"#

Explanation:

#CaCO_3(s) stackrel(Delta)rarr CaO(s) + CO_2(g)#

You have the stoichiometric equation, which tells you UNEQUIVOCALLY that #100.09*g# of #CaCO_3(s)# undergoes decomposition with heat to give #56.09*g# of so-called #"burnt lime"# or #"quicklime"# (i.e. #"calcium oxide"#) and #44.0*g# of carbon dioxide........

If you haven't already realized #"mass is conserved"#. What does this mean in this context?

With respect to #CaCO_3# we heated a molar quantity of #(1.5xx10^6*g)/(100.09*g*mol^-1)~=15000*mol#.

And thus if such a molar quantity of calcium carbonate were reacted we would get a molar quantity of #15000*mol# with respect to #"carbon dioxide"#........i.e. approx. #660*"tonnes"#. Take that atmosphere!

We also get #15000*molxx56.08*g*mol^-1=841*"tonnes"# with respect to #"calcium oxide"#, i.e. #"quicklime"#, #CaO#........

In what industry do you think that these reactions would have direct relevance? Or rather in what industry are these reactions routinely performed on these scales or larger?

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