How many moles of C₄H₁₀ (isobutane) must be reacted according to the following balanced chemical reaction to transfer -187.5 kJ of heat? 2 C₄H₁₀(g) + 13 O₂(g) → 8 CO₂(g) + 10 H₂O(g) ∆H = -2868.8 kJ

Answer 1

2C₄H₁₀(g) + 13O₂(g) → 8CO₂(g) + 10H₂O(g) .. ∆H = -2868.8 kJ

The balanced equation tells us that 2868.8 kJ of heat energy are released when TWO moles C₄H₁₀ are combusted. From this information, we can easily determined how many moles of C₄H₁₀ are needed to produce 187.5 kJ (the negative sign in from of the kJ values simply tells us that heat is being produced and not added)

187.5 kJ x 2 mols C₄H₁₀ / 2868.8 kJ = 0.1307 mols C₄H₁₀