Gaseous methane will react with gaseous oxygen to produce gaseous carbon dioxide and gaseous water. Suppose 9.3 g of methane is mixed with 52.3 g of oxygen. Calculate the maximum mass of carbon dioxide that could be produced by the chemical reaction. Round your answer to significant digits.

26 g

Explanation:

Write the balanced reaction first

CH4 + 2 O2 - -> CO2 + 2 H2O

9.3g + 52.3g - ->? CO2

You must determine how much carbon dioxide can be made from each of the reactants. The maximum mass that can be made is the lower of the two.

From CH4:

9.3g CH4 (1molCH4/16.05gCH4) (1molCO2 / 1molCH4) (44.01g CH4 / 1molCO2) = 26 g

From O2:

52.3g O2 (1molO2/32gO2) (1molCO2/2molO2) (44.01g/1molCO2) = 36 g