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Assuming that the coal was 80.2 % carbon by mass and that combustion was complet

ID: 498579 • Letter: A

Question

Assuming that the coal was 80.2 % carbon by mass and that combustion was complete, calculate the number of tons of carbon dioxide produced by the plant during the year. Express your answer numerically in tons. 2.46 Times 10^7 tons CO_2 As a greenhouse gas, CO_2 traps heat from the sun. Because of this, changes in the amount of CO_2 in the atmosphere will affect the overall temperature of the atmosphere. Assuming that the coal was 2.00 % sulfur by mass and that combustion was complete, calculate the number of tons of sulfur dioxide produced by the plant during the year. Express your answer numerically in tons. Tons SO_2

Explanation / Answer

Mass of Coal is , m = 8376726 tons

% of Carbon is 80.2 %

So the mass of Carbon is , m' = m x (80.2/ 100 )

                                              = 8376726 x 80.2 / 100

                                              = 6718134 tons

The comduction reaction is given by    C + O2 ------> CO2

Molar mass of C is 12 g/mol

Molar mass of CO2 is = 12 + (2x16) = 44 g/mol

According to the balanced equation ,

12 g of C produces 44 g of CO2

                         OR

12 tons of C produces 44 tons of CO2

6718134 tons of C produces Y tons of CO2

Y = ( 6718134 x 44 ) / 12

    = 24633158 tons of CO2


Mass of Coal is , m = 8376726 tons

% of Sulphur is 2.00 %

So the mass of Carbon is , m' = m x (2.0 / 100 )

                                              = 8376726 x 2.0 / 100

                                              = 167534 tons

S + O2 ----> SO2

Molar mass of S is = 32 g/mol

Molar mass of SO2 is = 32 + ( 2x16) = 64 g/mol

According to the balanced equation ,

32 g of S produces 64 g of SO2

                         OR

32 tons of S produces 64 tons of SO2

167534 tons of S produces Z tons of SO2

Z = ( 167534 x 64 ) / 32

    = 335069 tons of SO2