What volume did the hydrogen occupy?

Question

The total mass of the hydrogen gas in the Hindenburg zeppelin was 18,000 kg. What volume did the hydrogen occupy? (Assume that the temperature of the hydrogen was 0°C and that it was at a pressure of 1 atm.)

Answer 1

Hello, Emma,

The conditions of the hydrogen are STP, so we don't need to adjust for temperature and pressure. At STP, one mole of any gas occupies 22.4 liters. Hydrogen's molar mass is 2g/mole, so 18,000 kg can be converted into moles:

18,000kg = 1.8 x 10⁶ grams. Divide that by 2g/mole and you get 9.0 x 10⁵ moles. Multiply by 22.4 liters/mole to get 2.0 x 10⁷ liters.

Bob