Lecture 6
Topic 3: Stoichiometry: Formulas and Equations
Definition: Stoichiometry is the quantitative relationship
between reactants and products in chemical reactions.
Stoichiometry deals with the relative amounts in which
reactants combine with each other, and the amount of products
that they produce.
Stoichiometry is in large part based on the principle that
matter can neither be created nor destroyed during
chemical reactions, but can only be converted from one form
to another (rearrangement of atoms).
Based onthe principle that matter can neither be created nor
destroyed during chemical reactions, but can only be
converted from one form to another (rearrangement of
atoms).
Chemical Equation
This is a symbolic representation of the rearrangement of
atoms of substances that interact with each other (reactants)
to produce new substances (products), specifying the relative
amounts (in whole numbers) of the interacting substances
and the substances produced
Example: 2H2 + O2 2H2O
Reactans Product
Equation must be balanced.
Because the products result from a rearrangement of the
same atoms that were in the reactants, no atoms are lost or
gained,
therefore the number of atoms of each element that was in
the reactants must be the same as the number of atoms of
the same element in the products.
Stoichiometric coefficients:-
the numbers in front of the formula of each species in the
reaction equation.
Example: 2H2 + O2 2H2O
Reactans Product
In the example above, the stoichiometric coefficient of each of
hydrogen (H2) and water (H2O) is 2, but for oxygen it is 1.
Meaning of subscript numbers in the formula:- these denote the
number of atoms of a particular element in the chemical formula.
The reaction equation above is an abbreviation of a reaction
that could be represented as
H-H + H-H + O-O H-O-H + H-O-H
Meaning; 2xH2 + O2 2xH2O
Exercise: Determine the total number of atoms of each
element in the following formulas
Cr(OH)3 . 6H2O
NH4Fe(SO4)2.12H2O
Accounting for atoms during a chemical reaction.
Example: When methane burns in oxygen (combustion) water and
carbon dioxide are the products. Write a balanced equation for the
reaction.
• Skeletal equation (shows just the identity of the species by
chemical formula)
CH4 + O2 CO2 + H2O (# of atoms not balancing)
• Balance the equation
CH4 + 2O2 CO2 + 2H2O
• Include physical states
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2H2O (g)
Never change the subscripts in the
chemical formulas to balance
equations. Changing subscripts
changes the identity of the
substance.
e.g. 2H2 + O2 2H2O
is different from
2H2 + 2O2 2H2O2
The products of these reactions are
different compounds; water and
hydrogen peroxide, respectively.
Steps in Balancing Chemical Equations
1. First balance the elements occurring in the fewest formulas,
then
2. Balance the element in the largest number of formulas last
Example:
Butane, C4H10, burns in oxygen (air) to
form carbon dioxide and water vapour
[this is a word equation]. Balance the
equation.
Example
Butane, C4H10, burns in oxygen (air) to form carbon dioxide and
water vapour [this is a word equation]. Balance the equation.
• Write the skeletal equation (molecular formulas only)
C4H10 + O2 CO2 + H2O
• Balance C first
C4H10 + O2 4CO2 + H2O (carbon balanced)
• Balance H next (10 on left and 2 on the right in the unbalanced
equation above)
C4H10 + O2 4CO2 + 5H2O
• Balance H next (10 on left and 2 on the right in the unbalanced
equation above)
C4H10 + O2 4CO2 + 5H2O
• Balance O last (2 atoms on the left and 13 atoms on the right
of the unbalanced equation). Since each molecule of oxygen
consists of two O atoms, to make 13 atoms on the left side,
13/2 molecules of oxygen are needed, hence
C4H10 + 13/2 O2 4CO2 + 5H2O
• Molecules are never fractional, therefore the whole equation is
multiplied by 2 to remove the fraction;
2[C4H10 + 13/2 O2 4CO2 + 5H2O] OR 2C4H10 + 13 O2 8CO2 + 10H2O
Home Exercise
Balance the Equation;
Ce(OH)4(aq) + H3PO4(aq) Ce3(PO4)4(s) + H2O(l)
