Sample Midterm Exam

CBEMS 45A Midterm - p. 1

1. [5 pts.] Short Answers
Composition of a mixture in wt % is approximately the same as the composition in mol %. ____ (T/F)
The equation y=axb will be a straight line on semi-log paper. ____ (T/F)
A gauge pressure of 4 atm is equivalent to an absolute pressure of _______ .
Use _______ to convert from volumetric flowrate to mass flowrate.
The number 0.7560 has ___________ significant figures.
A T of 85oC is equivalent to a T of ______ oF.

2. [7 pts.] Pressure
An open-end water manometer (at 4 oC) is connected to a flask containing a gas at an absolute
pressure of 1.05 atm. What is the height (h) of the manometer fluid in cm? Atmospheric pressure
is 1.00 atm.

3. [8 pts.]
You plan to mix two reactants, tetrahydrofreefurol (THF: MW=216, SG=1.30; flowrate = 5.0
liters/min) and cyclohexane (CH: MW=84, SG=0.779; flowrate = 11.0 liters/min), and feed the
combined stream to the reactor. However, if the mass fraction of the THF in the combined stream
exceeds 0.3, the reaction mixture explodes. Can the THF and CH streams be safely mixed?

CBEMS 45A Midterm - p. 2

D

4. [10 pts.]
A process is represented by the flowchart
to the right. No reactions occur. You want
to determine the concentrations of all streams.
What is the maximum number of independent
balances that can be written?
Show your work and explain carefully.

A, B
C

A, B

5. [20 pts.] Chemical Reaction

Methane (CH4) and chlorine gas (Cl2) react to form carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and hydrogen
chloride (HCl). Methane (100 mol/min) and chlorine (100 mol/min) are fed to the reactor, and
percent conversion of the limiting reactant is 95%.
(a) Which is the limiting reactant? Clearly explain.
(b) What is the molar flowrate of the limiting reactant in the exiting stream?
(c) What is the extent of reaction?
(d) If 200 moles/min of reactants enters the reactor, the total molar flowrate of the exiting stream
will also be 200 moles/min. Explain why.

CBEMS 45A Midterm - p. 3

6. [25 pts.] Wood Drying Process
In a wood dryer, hot air is used to dry the wet wood from 20.0 wt% H2O to 5.0 wt% H2O. The
hot air must contain 2.0 wt% H2O to prevent the wood from drying too rapidly and splitting or
warping. However, the fresh air contains only 1.0 wt% H2O. Therefore, some of the wet air
leaving the dryer (4.0 wt% H2O) is recycled to join the fresh air stream. The combined air stream
entering the dryer contains 2.0 wt% H2O.
(a) Draw a flowchart and clearly label all streams and compositions.
(b) How many independent balances can be written for this process? (Consider all balances that
can be written, not just the overall system balances.)
(c) If one ton of wet wood is dried per hour, calculate the lbm/h of fresh air required and the lbm/h
of wet air which must be recycled.

CBEMS 45A Midterm - p. 4

7. [25 pts.] Sulfur Recovery Reactor
A stream containing 70.0% H2S and 30.0% inert gases (I) and a second stream of pure SO2 are
fed to a sulfur recovery reactor, where the reaction
2H 2S + SO 2 3S + 2H 2O
takes place. The fractional conversion of the limiting reactant in the reactor is 85.0%. The SO2 is
provided in 40.0% stoichiometric excess.
(a) Draw and clearly label the
flowchart.
(b) If the inert gases leave the reactor at a rate of 150. kmol/h, what are the molar feed rates of
H2S and SO2?
(c) What is the molar flow rate (kmol/h) of H2O out? How much sulfur (kmol/h) is recovered?