Question #090a5

1 Answer
Matt
Apr 24, 2016

I don't think it can.

Explanation:

Since this is combustion, there must also by oxygen present which will contribute to the mass of the reactants.

However, if you consider the simplest organic compound, methane, combusting:
CH_4+2O_2toCO_2+2H_2O

The Relative Formula masses are:
(16) "methane"+(2times32) "oxygen"to 44 (CO_2)+(2times18)water

The increase in mass of products (80) to reactant (excluding oxygen) is a factor of 5.

The question requires a substance that gives this ratio to be
(3+1.5)/(7.5times 10^-3)=600
i.e. an increase in mass of a factor of 600.

This is not possible. If you consider the oxidation of individual atoms:
4H + O_2 to 2H_2O, the ratio by mass of water products to hydrogen reactants is 9.
For C+O_2"toCO_2, the ratio by mass of CO_2 products to carbon reactants is 3.7.

Hence we cannot get to a ratio of 600.

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