Ethanol, C2 H6 O, is added to gasoline to produce "gasohol,...

Ethanol, $\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O},$ is added to gasoline to produce "gasohol, a fuel for automobile engines. How many grams of $\mathrm{O}_{2}$ are required for complete combustion of $421 \mathrm{g}$ of ethanol? $\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{OH}(\ell)+3 \mathrm{O}_{2}(\mathrm{g}) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{CO}_{2}(\mathrm{g})+3 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(\mathrm{g})$

Key Concepts

Combustion Reaction

A combustion reaction is a chemical process in which a substance (typically a fuel) reacts with oxygen to produce combustion products, usually carbon dioxide and water. Recognizing this type of reaction is important because it highlights the formation of CO2 and H2O and establishes the relationships between ethanol and oxygen in the reaction.

Balanced Chemical Equations

Balanced chemical equations provide the exact mole ratios of reactants and products involved in a chemical reaction. For this combustion reaction, the balanced equation is used to understand that one mole of ethanol requires three moles of oxygen for complete combustion.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance. Calculating the molar mass of ethanol and oxygen enables the conversion from mass (in grams) to moles, providing the necessary step to apply stoichiometric relationships in the combustion reaction.

Mole Concept

The mole concept allows chemists to count particles (atoms, molecules) by relating them to a standard number (Avogadro's number). It is crucial here for converting the given mass of ethanol into moles, which can then be used directly with the stoichiometric ratios from the balanced equation.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the process of using balanced chemical equations to relate the amounts of reactants and products. In this problem, it is used to determine how many moles of oxygen are needed for a given number of moles of ethanol, based on their mole ratio in the combustion reaction.

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