New problem: Most kidney stones are calcium stones (composed of calcium oxalate)
ID: 1044992 • Letter: N
Question
New problem: Most kidney stones are calcium stones (composed of calcium oxalate) and are formed according to the equation below:
Ca(HCO3)2 (aq) + Na2C2O4 (aq) ? 2NaHCO3(aq) + CaC2O4 (s)
Colas are high in oxalates and are not recommended for people who suffer from kidney stones. A can of cola contains (244 mg) of sodium oxalate, Na2C2O4. How many cans of soda would someone have to drink to produce a kidney stone with a mass of 1.00 g (1000 mg), assuming that there is plenty of calcium hydrogen carbonate available in the body?
Explanation / Answer
Molar mass of Na2C2O4 = 134 gm/mol
Number of moles of sodium oxalate in one can = Mass/molar mass = 244 * 10^(-3)/134 = 1.8208 * 10^(-3) moles
One mole of Na2C2O4 gives one mole of CaC2O4
Molar mass of CaC2O4 = 168.175 gm/mol
Number of moles of CaC2O4 required = Mass/molar mass = 1/168.1750 = 5.946 * 10^(-3) moles
Number of cans * number of moles of sodium oxalate in one can = Number of moles of CaC2O4 required
Number of cans = 5.946/1.8208 = 3.2655
Hence someone has to drink atleast 4 cans in order to get kidney stone with a mass of 1000mg