CHEM1011 Worksheet 4: Stoichiometry
Model 1: Balancing Chemical Equations
Chemical equations specify how chemical reactions occur – the reactants used, the products formed and the
amounts of each. A balanced equation has the same number of atoms of each element on both sides, because
matter can neither be created nor destroyed. The reaction below is the combustion of propane:
C3H8(g) + O2(g) CO2(g) + H2O(l)
1. Which species are the reactants? Which are the products?
Reactants: C3H8 and O2
Products: CO2 and H2O
2. What information is provided by the numerical subscripts? (What is meant by the “2” in CO2?)
How many atoms there are of a
particular element
3. How many C, H and O atoms are on the left of the arrow and how many C, H and O atoms are on the right of
the arrow?
C = 3, 1
H = 8, 2
O = 2, 3
4. Is this equation balanced?
No
5. Balance the equation by adding numbers in front of the species so that the number of C, H and O atoms are
the same on both sides of the arrow.
C3H8(g) + 5O2 --> 3CO2 + 4H2O
6. Why do we need to put numbers in front of the species, rather than just changing the subscript?
Provide information about the ratio of
each species
The numbers in front of each species are called stoichiometric coefficients. If there is no explicit value, it means it is
just 1. The coefficients provide information about the ratio of each of the species.
7. Using your balanced equation, how many molecules of CO2 will be obtained from 2 molecules of C3H8?
8. Using a balanced equation, how many molecules of O2 are needed to obtain 16 molecules of H2O?
12
Atoms are not the only thing that need to be balanced in a reaction. Charges do too. In the equation below, the
atoms of each element are balanced, but the charges are not.
Cu2+(aq) + Ag(s) Ag+(aq) + Cu(s)
9. Balance the equation by adding the required stoichiometric coefficients.
Cu (aq) + Ag (s) --> Ag (aq) + 2Cu (s)
10. How many atoms of Ag are required to make 3 atoms of Cu?
2
11. What do you think the “(g)”, “(l)”, “(s)” and “(aq)” symbols in the two equations above represent?
state of matter
12. Complete the following equations.
(a) Na2CO3(s) + HCl(aq) Na+(aq) + Cl−(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)
(b) CH3OH(l) + O2 CO2 + H2O
(c) N2 + H2 NH3(l)
(d) LiOH(s) + CO2 Li2CO3(s) + H2O(l)
(e) H2SO4(l) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + SO42− (aq)
Model 2: Ionic reactions
When a soluble salt is placed in water, it separates into its ions. For example:
NaCl(s) Na+(aq) + Cl−(aq)
Mg(NO3)2(s) Mg2+(aq) + 2NO3−(aq)
In the solution, there are no “NaCl” or “Mg(NO3)2” molecules in the solution: the ions are separated and water
molecules surround each.
1. Complete the ionic equations for the dissolution of the following soluble salts. (Hint: make sure you balance
the equations and take special care when doing this for salts containing polyatomic ions.)
(a) MgSO4(s)
(b) Na2SO4(s)
(c) Mg(NO3)2(s)
(d) NaCH3CO2(s)
From above, a solution of NaCl contains Na+(aq) and Cl−(aq) and a solution of MgNO3 contains Mg2+(aq) and NO3−
(aq). If you mix a solution of each of these, nothing happens – we have the same present at the end:
Na+(aq) + Cl−(aq) + Mg2+(aq) + 2NO3−(aq) Na+(aq) + Cl−(aq) + Mg2+(aq) + 2NO3−(aq)
Ions which are present before and after can be crossed out of the equation: they are just “standing around
watching” and are called spectator ions:
Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + Mg2+(aq) + 2NO3-(aq) Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + Mg2+(aq) + 2NO3-(aq)
Spectator ions should not be included as they give the impression that something is happening.
The reverse of dissolution is precipitation in which an solid forms from the ions in solution. The salt AgCl is insoluble:
very little dissolves in solution. If Ag+(aq) and Cl-(aq) ions are mixed together than AgCl(s) will form:
Ag+(aq) + Cl−(aq) AgCl(s)
2. You prepare a beaker containing a solution of magnesium chloride by dissolving MgCl2(s) in water. Write
down the ionic equation for its dissolution.
3. You prepare a second beaker containing a solution of silver nitrate by dissolving AgNO3(s) in water. Write
down the ionic equation for its dissolution.
4. You mix these two solutions together. What ions are present in this mixture?
5. When the solutions are mixed, a solid appears that, we tested, is silver chloride. By thinking about the ions
that are present before and after mixing, write down the ionic equation for the reaction.
(Remember that ions that are present before and after are spectators and should be crossed out. If you have
included any spectator ions, remove them and write down the ionic equation.)
6. Write down the ionic equations for the precipitation reactions that occur when the following solutions are
mixed.
(a) A solution of Na2SO4 and a solution of CaCl2. (Hint: calcium sulfate is insoluble).
(b) A solution of NaOH and a solution of MgSO4. (Hint: magnesium hydroxide is insoluble).
(c) A solution of Ca(OH)2 and a solution of MgSO4 are mixed.