17

PRACTICE PROBLEMS
Combustion
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4. Theoretically, how many kilograms of air are needed

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to completely burn 5 kg of ethane (C2H6) gas?
1. The chemical equation for ethane combustion is
(A) 0.8 kg
7O2 þ 2C2 H6 ! 6H2 O þ 4CO2 (B) 19 kg
(C) 81 kg
The gases behave ideally. Most nearly, what volume of (D) 330 kg
O2 at 298K and 1.0 atm is required for complete com-
bustion of 10 L of C2H6 (gas) at 500K and 1 atm?
(A) 16 L 5. Eleven grams of propane (molecular weight of
(B) 19 L 44 g/mol) are burned with just enough pure oxygen
for complete combustion. What is most nearly the
(C) 21 L

Thermodynamics
mass of combustion products produced?
(D) 22 L
(A) 31 g
(B) 39 g
2. Complete combustion of 13.02 g of a compound (CxHy) (C) 41 g
produces 40.94 g of CO2 and 16.72 g of H2O. What is the (D) 51 g
empirical formula of the compound?
(A) CH
(B) CH2 6. Excess air is required in combustion because it
(C) CH4 (A) allows the reaction to occur stoichiometrically
(D) CH2O (B) reduces air pollution
(C) reduces the heat requirements
(D) allows complete combustion
3. What are the products of complete combustion of a
gaseous hydrocarbon?
I. carbon monoxide 7. Octane (C8H18) is burned with 150% theoretical air
II. carbon dioxide in a steady combustion process. Combustion is com-
plete. The total pressure is 1 atm. What is most nearly
III. water
the air-fuel ratio?
IV. ammonia
(A) 10 kg air/kg fuel
(A) I only (B) 15 kg air/kg fuel
(B) II and III (C) 23 kg air/kg fuel
(C) I, II, and III (D) 31 kg air/kg fuel
(D) I, III, and IV

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 17-2 F E M E C H A N I C A L P R A C T I C E P R O B L E M S

SOLUTIONS m 40:94 g
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x ¼ N CO2 ¼ N C ¼ ¼
M 44 g
1. Calculate the number of moles of ethane in the mol
reaction. ¼ 0:93 mol

pV y 16:72 g
N C2 H6 ¼ ¼ N H2 O ¼ g ¼ 0:93 mol
RT 2 18
mol
ð1:0 atmÞð10 LÞ
¼  ¼ N H =2
atmL
0:0821 ð500KÞ
molK
¼ 0:24 mol y ¼ N H ¼ 1:86 mol
x N C 0:93 mol
¼ ¼
The chemical equation coefficients represent molecules, y N H 1:86 mol
volumes, and moles. ¼ 1=2

N O2 The empirical formula for the compound is CH2.

¼ 7 mol=2 mol
N C2 H6
The answer is (B).

The number of moles of oxygen in the reaction is

 3. A gaseous hydrocarbon reacts with oxygen to form
7 mol carbon dioxide and water. Carbon monoxide only forms
N O2 ¼ ð0:24 molÞ
Thermodynamics

2 mol with incomplete combustion.

¼ 0:85 mol
The answer is (B).

From the ideal gas law, the volumes are directly related
to the absolute temperatures. 4. The balanced reaction equation is

V 298K T 298K 298K

¼ ¼ 2C2 H6 þ 7O2 ! 4CO2 þ 6H2 O
V STP T STP 273K combining
¼ 1:09 ð2Þð30Þ ð7Þð32Þ ð4Þð44Þ ð6Þð18Þ
weights

The volume of 1 mole of ideal gas at standard temper- The ratio of oxygen to ethane combining masses is
ature and pressure (STP) is 22.4 L. The volume of O2
required at 298K is O2 ð7Þð32Þ x
¼ ¼
  C2 H6 ð2Þð30Þ 5 kg
L
V O2 ¼ ð0:85 molÞð1:09Þ 22:4 x ¼ 18:67 kg
mol
¼ 20:8 L ð21 LÞ Air is 23.15% O2 by weight. The mass of air required is

The answer is (C).

18:67 kg
¼ 80:6 kg ð81 kgÞ
0:2315

The answer is (C).

2. Use x to represent the number of carbon atoms in
the fuel molecule. For the combustion of carbon,
C + O2 → CO2, each atom of carbon uses one molecule
5. The balanced combustion reaction equation is
of oxygen and produces one molecule of carbon dioxide.
Let y represent the number of hydrogen atoms in the
C3 H8 þ 5O2 ! 3CO2 þ 4H2 O
fuel molecule. From the combustion of hydrogen,
2H2 + O2 → 2H2O, each atom of hydrogen gas uses one combining
44 ð5Þð32Þ ð3Þð44Þ ð4Þð18Þ
half of an oxygen atom (one quarter of an oxygen mole- weights
cule) and produces one half of a water molecule. The
stoichiometric equation for combustion is The mass of combustion products produced when 44 g
of propane is burned is
 y y
Cx Hy þ x þ O2 ! xCO2 þ H2 O m products ¼ ð3Þð44 gÞ þ ð4Þð18 gÞ ¼ 204 g
4 2

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 C O M B U S T I O N 17-3

The mass of combustion products produced when 11 g Alternatively,

of propane is burned can be found by simple proportion.
C8 H18 þ 18:75O2 þ 70:5N2
204 g x
¼ ! 8CO2 þ 9H2 O þ 70:5N2 þ 6:25O2
44 g 11 g
x ¼ 51 g
The coefficients represent the number of molecules, vol-
The answer is (D). umes, and moles. The air-fuel ratio is

mass of air
6. Excess air is required for complete combustion to A=F ¼
mass of fuel
occur.  
kg
The answer is (D). ð18:75 kmolÞ 32
kmol
 
kg
þ ð70:5 kmolÞ 28:014
7. The stoichiometric combustion reaction equation is kmol
¼  
kg
C8 H18 þ 12:5ðO2 þ 3:76N2 Þ ð8 kmolÞ 12:01
kmol
! 8CO2 þ 9H2 O þ ð12:5Þð3:76ÞN2  
kg
þ ð9 kmolÞ 2:016
kmol
With 150% theoretical air,
¼ 22:54 kg air=kg fuel ð23 kg air=kg fuelÞ

Thermodynamics
C8 H18 þ ð1:5Þð12:5ÞðO2 þ 3:76ÞN2
! 8CO2 þ 9H2 O þ ð1:5Þð12:5Þð3:76ÞN2 The answer is (C).
þ ð0:5Þð12:5ÞO2

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