Coal is a fossil fuel made primarily of carbon, but it also contains sulfur amon

Question

Coal is a fossil fuel made primarily of carbon, but it also contains sulfur among other elements.

When carbon, C, burns in air, it reacts with oxygen, O2, to produce carbon dioxide,CO2:

C(s)+O2(g)CO2(g)

When sulfur, S, burns in air, it reacts with oxygen, O2, to produce sulfur dioxide, SO2:

S(s)+O2(g)SO2(g)

In 1986 an electrical power plant in Taylorsville, Georgia, burned 8,376,726 tons of coal, a national record at that time.

Part A

Assuming that the coal was 81.4 % 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.

Part B

Assuming that the coal was 4.20 % 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 CO2   Coal is a fossil fuel made primarily of carbon, but it also contains sulfur among other elements. When carbon, C, burns in air, it reacts with oxygen, O2, to produce carbon dioxide,CO2: C(s)+O2(g) right arrow CO2(g) When sulfur, S, burns in air, it reacts with oxygen, O2, to produce sulfur dioxide, SO2: S(s)+O2(g) right arrow SO2(g) In 1986 an electrical power plant in Taylorsville, Georgia, burned 8,376,726 tons of coal, a national record at that time. Assuming that the coal was 81.4 % carbon by mass and that combustion was complete, calculate the number of tons of carbon dioxide produced by the plant during the year. Assuming that the coal was 4.20 % sulfur by mass and that combustion was complete, calculate the number of tons of sulfur dioxide produced by the plant during the year.

Explanation / Answer

A)

we know that

% mass of carbon = mass of carbon x 100 / total mass

so

81.4 = mass of carbon x 100 / 8376726

mass of carbon = 6818654.964 ton

now

consider the reaction

C + 02 ---> C02

we can see that

1 mole of C gives 1 mole of C02

so

12 g of C gives 44 g of C02

similiarly

12 ton of C gives 44 tonnes of C02

let 6818654.964 tonnes of C gives y tonnes of C02

y = 6818654.964 x 44 / 12

y = 25001734.87

so

25,001,734.87 tonnes of C02 is produced

B)

we know that

% mass of sulfur = mass of sulfur x 100 / total mass

so

4.2 = mass of sulfur x 100 / 8376726

mass of sulfur = 351822.492 ton

now

consider the reaction

S + 02 ---> S02

we can see that

1 mole of S gives 1 mole of S02

so

32 g of S gives 64 g of S02

similiarly

32 ton of S gives 64 tonnes of S02

let 351822.492 tonnes of S gives y tonnes of S02

y = 351822.492 x 64 / 32

y = 703644.984

so

703,644.984 tonnes of S02 is produced

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse C
• Subjects

---