A sample of .234g of carbon is placed in a closed stainless steel bomb with .502g of of oxygen gas. The mixture is ignited giving of carbon dioxide. How many grams of carbon dioxide should be obtained upon combustion?

Answer 1

You have a limiting reagent problem.
C + O2 ==> CO2

1. Convert 0.234 g C to moles. moles = grams/molar mass.
2. Convert 0.502 g oxygen to moles. Same procedure.
3a. Using the coefficients in the balanced equation, convert moles C in step 1 to moles CO2.
3b. Using the coefficients convert moles oxygen in step 2 to moles CO2.
3c. Likely, the two results from 3a and 3b will be different. Obviously, one of them is the correct answer and one is not. The correct answer is ALWAYS the smaller value.

4. Convert the smaller value from 3c into grams CO2. grams = moles x molar mass.