Chemical Reactions and the

Mole.
1 Fe (s) + 1 S (s)
1 FeS (s)
This chemical reaction means one atom
of iron reacts with one atom of sulfur to
form one molecule of iron (II) sulfide
Can we do this chemical reaction?
No - atoms are too small to see We must perform the reaction many times
larger to see it!
We always perform the reaction 6.02 x
1023 times larger, or 1 mole times larger

1 Fe (s) + 1 S (s)

1 FeS (s)

If we do this reaction 6.02 x 1023 times bigger, it would be

written:
6.02 x 1023 Fe (s) + 6.02 x 1023 S (s)
6.02 x 1023 FeS (s)
Since 6.02 x 1023 is 1 mole, we could also say:
1 mole Fe (s) + 1 mole S (s)

1 mole FeS (s)

So we could view the 1 coefficient as either 1 atom, or 1

mole, depending on whether we were looking at the
reaction on the atomic scale, or the large, human, molar
scale!

1 Fe (s) + 1 S (s)

1 FeS (s)

Heres the problem If you have 10 grams of Fe, how many grams
of S do you need?
Most would say 10 grams!
It is a 1:1 ratio!
But the units in the chemical reaction arent
grams!
The 1 coefficient does not stand for grams it stands for moles!
If you are going to Mexico, your dollars have
to be converted into pesos before you go!
When you look at the ratio in a chemical
reaction, you must be in moles!

 Lets look at a sample problem

Number one in your homework packet
under Easy Stoichiometry Problems

Carbon dioxide can be commercially

prepared by heating chalk, or calcium
carbonate. How many moles of carbon
dioxide can be produced when 3.05 moles
of calcium carbonate are heated?
How do we approach this problem?
There are four steps we follow in any
problem we do with chemical reactions and
amounts

1. Write a balanced chemical

reaction
2. Make sure you are in the unit
of moles (mole map)
3. Set up a ratio from the
chemical reaction, putting what
you want to solve for on top,
and what you want to cancel
on bottom
4. Convert out of the unit of
moles, if necessary (mole
map)

Volume of A
(liquid)

Use
Grams A

Molar Mass

Volume of A
(gas)

Volume of B
(liquid)

USE YOUR
CHEMICAL
RECIPE HERE

Moles A

X moles you want

moles you have

SET UP A
RATIO FROM
YOUR
BALANCED
EQUATION

Moles B

Use
Molar Mass

Volume of B
(gas)

Grams B

 Step 1: Write a balanced chemical

equation:
1 CaCO3 (s)

1 CaO (s) + 1 CO2 (g)

Step 2: Convert into the unit of moles:

Done! We already have 3.05 moles
CaCO3
Step 3: Set up a ratio:
The reaction says that I can create 1
mole of CO2 for every 1 mole of CaCO3 I
start with
It is just like a recipe!

1 CaCO3 (s)

1 CaO (s) + 1 CO2 (g)

3.05 moles CaCO3 x 1 mole CO2 =

1 mole CaCO3
3.05 moles CaCO3
No step 4 is required, because the
problem asks for the answer in
moles!

 Lets look at this problem

Group 1 metals are explosive when they come
into contact with water. If 20.0 grams of
potassium were to explode with excess water,
how many moles of hydrogen would be
produced?
Lets write a balanced chemical equation step 1!

2 K (s) + 2 HOH (l)

2 KOH (aq) + 1 H2 (g)

Writing reactions will be CRITICAL on

the test!!!

2 K (s) + 2 HOH (l)

2 KOH (aq) + 1 H2 (g)

Step 2: Convert into moles:

20.0 g K x 1 mole
= .51 moles K
39.1 grams
I MUST be in the unit of the mole to be able to look
at the ratios or amounts from the chemical reaction!
Step 3: Set up a ratio from the reaction:
.51 moles K x 1 mole H2 = .255 moles H2
2 mole K
No step 4 is required because the problem asks for
moles of hydrogen

 Lets look at this problem

Cigarette lighters use butane, or C4H10, as their
fuel. If 120 grams of butane burn with only 55 liters
of oxygen gas at STP, how many liters of carbon
dioxide are produced? Which reactant is your
limiting reactant?
Lets write a balanced chemical equation - step 1!
2 C4H10 (g) + 13 O2 (g)
10 HOH (g) + 8 CO2 (g)
There is a problem here.
One of our starting chemicals is going to run
out!

 2 C4H10 (g) + 13 O2 (g)

10 HOH (g) + 8 CO2 (g)

To figure out which starting material runs out, called our

limiting reactant, we must first convert both into moles:

120.0 g C4H10 x 1 mole

58 grams
55 L O2 x 1 mole
22.4 liters

= 2.07 moles C4H10

= 2.46 moles O2

Which one runs out?

Is it always the one we have less of?
What if I was making sandwiches, and used two pieces of
bread, and one piece of bologna, per sandwich?
With 8 pieces of bologna, and 10 pieces of bread, what runs
out.?

 The bread!
I need twice as much bread as
bologna to make a sandwich.
In this problem, what runs out?

 2 C4H10 (g) + 13 O2 (g)

10 HOH (g) + 8 CO2 (g)

120.0 g C4H10 x 1 mole

= 2.07 moles C4H10
58 g C4H10
55 L O2 x 1 mole O2
22.4 L O2

= 2.46 moles O2

To see which one runs out, we divide each number by the number
needed in the reaction
2.07/2 for the C4H10, and 2.46/13 for the O2
Which of these numbers is less?
That is the one that runs out
The O2 is less, so it runs out!
We finish the problem with the amount of O2, and ignore the C4H10
All problems are done this way - finish the problem with the chemical
that runs out, and ignore the one you have extra of!

 2 C4H10 (g) + 13 O2 (g)

10 HOH (g) + 8 CO2 (g)

Step 3: Set up a ratio from the reaction:

2.46 moles O2 x 8 moles CO2 = 1.51 moles CO2

13 moles O2

Step 4: Convert out of the mole:

1.51 moles CO2 x 22.4 L
= 33.85 L CO2
1 mole CO2
Now try some problems on your own!