Answer to Question #342922 in General Chemistry for Emjay

Question

One of the reactions used to inflate automobile air bags involves sodium azide

(NaN3). The balanced equation will be: 2NaN3(s) → 2Na(s) + 3N2(g). Determine the mass of N2

produced from the decomposition of 100.0 g of NaN3.

Answer 1

The mol number of sodium azide:

$n(NaN_3) = \frac{m(NaN_3)}{M(NaN_3)}=\frac{100.0 g}{65.0g } = 1.54 mol$

By the balanced reaction we observed following:

$2n(NaN_3) = 3n(N_2)$

$n(N_2) = \frac{2}{3}n(NaN_3)$

$m(N_2) = n(N_2) \times M(N_2) = \frac{2}{3}n(NaN_3) \times M(N_2)$

$m(N_2) = \frac{2}{3} \times 1.54 mol \times 14 g/mol = 14.4 g$