The source of oxygen that drives the internal
combustion engine in an automobile is air. Air is a
mixture of gases, which are principally N2 (~79%)
and O2 (~20%). In the cylinder of an automobile
enginc, nitrogen can react with oxygen to produce
nitric oxide gas, NO. As NO is emitted from the
tailpipe of the car, it can react with more oxygen to
produce nitrogen dioxide gas.
Write balanced chemical equations for both reactions.
Express your answers as chemical equations separated by a comma. Identify all of the phases in your answer.
Part B
Both nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide are pollutants that can lead to acid rain and global warming; collectively, they are called
"NOx" gases. In 2004, the United States emitted an estimated 19 million short tons of nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere.
How many grams of nitrogen dioxide is this? Note that one short ton equals 2,000 lb.
Express your answer using two significant figures.
m =
g
Part C
The production of NOx gases is an unwanted side reaction of the main engine combustion process that turns octane,
C8H18, into CO2 and water. If 85% of the oxygen in an engine is used to combust octane, and the remainder used to
produce nitrogen dioxide, calculate how many grams of nitrogen dioxide would be produced during the combustion of 800
grams of octane.
Express your answer using two significant figures.
