Nitric acid is a key industrial chemical, largely used to make fertilizers and e

Question

Nitric acid is a key industrial chemical, largely used to make fertilizers and explosives. The first step in its synthesis is the oxidation of ammonia. In this reaction, gaseous ammonia reacts with dioxygen gas to produce nitrogen monoxide gas and water. Suppose a chemical engineer studying a new catalyst for the oxidation of ammonia reaction finds that 130 liters per second of dioxygen are consumed when the reaction is run a 182 degree Celsius and 0.40 atm. Calculate the rate at which nitrogen monoxide is being produced. Give your answer in kilograms per second. Round your answer to 2 significant digits.

Explanation / Answer

The reaction for ammonia and oxygen is

4NH3 + 5O2 ----------> 4NO + 6H2O

5 moles of O2 will give 4 moles of NO

Now calculate the moles of O2 using ideal gas equation.

n =PV/RT

= (0.40 atm x 130 L/s) / (0.082 L atm / mol K) x (182+273.15 K)

= 1.393 mol/s

So, the molar flow rate of NO will be (4/5) x 1.393 mol/s == 1.114 ml/s

1 mole NO = 30 grams

So mass flow rate = 1.114 x 30 g/s == 33 x 10-3  kg/s

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse N
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.