Losing my mind over Stoichiometry

[hubbmatt]

Alright, here we go... First off I just want to warn you all that I'm very bad @ math, so this might take a little explanation. I'm currently in a Gen Chem class and can't get a grasp on this Stoichiometry stuff. One of the ?'s I'm looking at is this:

1.2g AgNO3 + 0.5g Cu + 100ml H2O ---> Ag + Cu(NO3)2 + H2O

Now, assuming I'm correct on my equation, how do I even start the "Stoichiometry" process? I got 1.33g Ag out of the reaction, do I put that into the equation? Please help me. Thank You

 

[symbolipoint]

You start by finding formula weights of each reactant and product. You also must check that your reaction is balanced. Your stoichiometry then is the result. According to how you wrote the unrefined reaction, Ag(0) ------> e + Ag⁺ and Cu⁺² +2e -------> Cu(0).
You will need to balance these two half reactions through the electrons. This will affect how you write the overall reaction.

 

[quicknote]

Stoichiometry can definitely be a challenging concept to grasp, especially for those who struggle with math. However, it is an important skill to have in chemistry as it allows us to predict and calculate the amounts of reactants and products in a chemical reaction.

In order to solve this problem, the first step would be to balance the chemical equation. This means making sure that the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation are equal. In this case, the equation is already balanced.

Next, we need to determine the limiting reactant, which is the reactant that will be completely used up in the reaction. To do this, we need to convert the given masses of AgNO3 and Cu into moles. This can be done by dividing the given mass by the molar mass of each compound. The molar mass of AgNO3 is 169.87 g/mol and the molar mass of Cu is 63.55 g/mol.

Once we have the moles of each compound, we can use the coefficients in the balanced equation to determine the mole ratio between AgNO3 and Cu. In this case, the ratio is 1:1. This means that for every 1 mole of AgNO3, we need 1 mole of Cu.

Now, we can compare the moles of AgNO3 and Cu to see which one is the limiting reactant. Whichever has the lower number of moles is the limiting reactant. In this case, it is Cu with 0.0079 moles.

We can now use the mole ratio from the balanced equation to calculate the moles of Ag that will be produced. For every 1 mole of Cu, 1 mole of Ag will be produced. Therefore, we will have 0.0079 moles of Ag produced.

To convert this into grams, we can multiply the moles by the molar mass of Ag, which is 107.87 g/mol. This gives us a final answer of 0.85 g of Ag produced.

I hope this explanation helps you understand the process of stoichiometry a bit better. Remember, practice makes perfect and don't be afraid to ask for help when needed. Keep up the good work!