SELF ASSESSMENT
Mass Relationships in Chemical reactions
By Felister Priscilla Moyo Saturday, April 19, 2025
CHEMISTRY-111 ~ STOICHIOMETRY
1. Define the following terms as used in chemistry
a) Atomic mass
b) Atomic mass unit
c) Molecular Mass (MM)
d) Formula Mass (FM)
e) Mole
f) Avogrado’s number
g) Molar Mass
h) Percentage composition
i) Mass percentage
j) Empirical formula
2. Calculate the formula mass of each of the following to three significant figures,
using a table of atomic masses (AM):
i. chloroform, CHCl3
ii. iron(III) sulfate, Fe2(SO4)3
3. Copper, a metal known since ancient times, is used in electrical cables and
pennies, among other things. The atomic masses of its two stable isotopes,
29𝐶𝑢 (69.09 percent) and 29𝐶𝑢 (30.91 percent), are 62.93 amu and 64.9278
63 65
amu, respectively. Calculate the average atomic mass of copper. The relative
abundances are given in parentheses.
4. (a) Helium (He) is a valuable gas used in industry, low-temperature research,
deep-sea diving tanks, and balloons. How many moles of He atoms are in 6.46
g of He?
(b) Zinc (Zn) is a silvery metal that is used in making brass (with copper) and in
plating iron to prevent corrosion. How many grams of Zn are in 0.356 mole
of Zn?
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5. Formaldehyde, CH2O, is a toxic gas with a pungent odor. Large quantities are
consumed in the manufacture of plastics and a water solution of the
compound is used to preserve biological specimens. Calculate the mass
percentages of the elements in formaldehyde (give answers to three significant
figures)
6. A compound of nitrogen and oxygen is analyzed, and a sample weighing 1.587
g is found to contain 0.483 g N and 1.104 g O. What is the empirical formula
of the compound?
7. A sample of a compound contains 1.52 g of nitrogen (N) and 3.47 g of oxygen
(O). The molar mass of this compound is between 90 g and 95 g. Determine
the molecular formula and the accurate molar mass of the compound.
8. What is Stoichiometry?
9. (a) The food we eat is degraded, or broken down, in our bodies to provide
energy for growth and function. A general overall equation for this very
complex process represents the degradation of glucose (C6H12O6) to carbon
dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O):
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O
If 856 g of C6H12O6 is consumed by a person over a certain period, what is the
mass of CO2 produced?
(b) Hematite, Fe2O3, is an important ore of iron; (An ore is a natural substance
from which the metal can be profitably obtained.) The free metal is obtained
by reacting hematite with carbon monoxide, CO, in a blast furnace. Carbon
monoxide is formed in the furnace by partial combustion of carbon. The
reaction is:
Fe2O3(s) 3CO(g) 2Fe(s) 3CO2(g)
How many grams of iron can be produced from 1.00 kg Fe2O3?
10. Differentiate between limiting reagent and excess reagent.
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11. Urea [(NH2)2CO] is prepared by reacting ammonia with carbon dioxide:
2NH2(g) + CO2(g) (NH2)2CO(aq) + H2O(l)
In one process, 637.2 g of NH3 are treated with 1142 g of CO2.
(a) Which of the two reactants is the limiting reagent?
(b) Calculate the mass of (NH2)2CO formed.
(c) How much excess reagent (in grams) is left at the end of the reaction?
12. Explain how a chemical equation can be used to relate the masses of different
substances involved in a reaction.
13. Come up with some examples of limiting reactants that use the concept but
don’t involve chemical reactions.
14. Use the formation of water from hydrogen and oxygen to explain the
following terms: chemical reaction, reactant, product.
15. What is the difference between a chemical reaction and a chemical equation?
16. Why must a chemical equation be balanced? What law is obeyed by a
balanced chemical equation?
17. Write the symbols used to represent gas, liquid, solid, and the aqueous phase in
chemical equations.
18. On what law is stoichiometry based? Why is it essential to use balanced
equations in solving stoichiometric problems?
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