# Question 3331e

Mar 9, 2017

See explanation.

#### Explanation:

One cannot possibly answer this question without a balanced chemical equation to go by.

The general idea is that the stoichiometric coefficients present in a balanced chemical equation tell you the numbers of moles that take part in the reaction for the reactants and the products.

Take, for example, this balanced chemical equation

${\text{C"_ ((s)) + "O"_ (2(g)) -> "CO}}_{2 \left(g\right)}$

Here $1$ mole of carbon reacts with $1$ mole of oxygen gas to produce $1$ mole of carbon dioxide. You can say that carbon and oxygen gas react in a $1 : 1$ mole ratio because equal numbers of moles of each reactant are consumed by the reaction.

Similarly, you have a $1 : 1$ mole ratio between oxygen gas and carbon dioxide because the reaction produces $1$ mole of the former for every $1$ mole of the latter that reacts.

In your case, this would mean

23 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("moles O"_2))) * "1 mole CO"_2/(1color(red)(cancel(color(black)("moles O"_2)))) = "23 moles CO"_2

Another example would be

${\text{CH"_ (4(g)) + color(blue)(2)"O"_ (2(g)) -> "CO"_ (2(g)) + 2"H"_ 2"O}}_{\left(l\right)}$

This time, you have a $\textcolor{b l u e}{2} : 1$ mole ratio between oxygen gas and carbon dioxide because the reaction consumes $\textcolor{b l u e}{2}$ mole of the former and produces $1$ mole of the latter.

In your case, this would mean

23 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("moles O"_2))) * "1 mole CO"_2/(color(blue)(2)color(red)(cancel(color(black)("moles O"_2)))) = 23/2color(white)(.)"moles CO"_2#

So, make sure that you're working with a balanced chemical equation. Look at the stoichiometric coefficients for ${\text{O}}_{2}$ and ${\text{CO}}_{2}$.

The ratio that exists between these coefficients will give you the mole ratio that exists between the two chemical species.

Finally, set up the mole ratio as a conversion factor and calculate the number of moles of carbon dioxide produced by $23$ moles of oxygen gas.