2H2 + O2 → 2H2O how many grams of water can be made by reacting 3.41 g of O2?

Question

Looking for the equation to solve this. I don't need the answer I am trying to practice solving on my own. Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

You first need to remind yourself of the definition of atomic mass: How many grams per mole is the reactant (Oxygen O₂) presented in this problem? Consulting the periodic table of the elements you will find oxygen has an atomic mass of 15.999 grams per mole (g/mol). Oxygen, by the way, exists under standard conditions as a diatomic molecule, and yet you should still use the atomic mass provided in the periodic table, which accounts for this fact.

You now have the two equations you need:

(1) The chemical equation 2H₂ + O₂ > 2H₂O

This equates the number of moles of each reactant and each product. For every mole of oxygen, 2 moles of water are produced

(2) The atomic mass for oxygen = 15.999 grams per mole

This will allow you to calculate how many moles of oxygen are reacted, given a mass of 3.41 g of oxygen

Now you can complete the calculation.