Calculating Zinc Sulfide Production from Zinc

Calculating Zinc Sulfide Production from Zinc

To determine how many grams of zinc sulfide (ZnS) are produced when zinc (Zn) is completely used up, it's crucial to establish the proper chemical equation and stoichiometric relationships. Below, we provide a detailed explanation and a step-by-step approach to calculate the mass of ZnS produced.

Introduction to Chemical Reaction and Stoichiometry

The reaction between zinc and sulfur to form zinc sulfide is represented as:

[Zn S rightarrow ZnS]

From the balanced chemical equation, it is evident that zinc and sulfur react in a 1:1 molar ratio to produce zinc sulfide (ZnS).

Stoichiometric Calculations

To find the mass of ZnS produced, we need to know the molar masses of the reactants and the product:

Molar mass of Zn 65.4 g/mol Molar mass of S 32.06 g/mol Molar mass of ZnS 65.4 g 32.06 g 97.44 g/mol

Example Calculation:

Consider the following example where we have 36.8 grams of zinc:

Step 1: Calculate the moles of Zn

[ text{Moles of Zn} frac{36.8 text{ g}}{65.38 text{ g/mol}} 0.563 text{ mol} ]

Step 2: Calculate the moles of S (assuming the available quantity of S is 19.4 grams)

[ text{Moles of S} frac{19.4 text{ g}}{32.06 text{ g/mol}} 0.605 text{ mol} ]

Step 3: Determine the limiting reactant

Since the reaction requires 1 mole of Zn for every 1 mole of S, we check the stoichiometric relationship:

0.563 mol Zn 0.605 mol S

Here, Zn is the limiting reactant because it is present in lesser amount compared to S.

Step 4: Calculate the moles of ZnS produced

As zinc is the limiting reactant, the reaction will proceed until all of the zinc is used up. Therefore, the moles of ZnS produced will be equal to the moles of Zn.

[ text{Moles of ZnS} 0.563 text{ mol} ]

Step 5: Convert moles of ZnS to grams

[ text{Mass of ZnS} 0.563 text{ mol} times 97.44 text{ g/mol} 54.8 text{ g} ]

Therefore, the mass of ZnS produced from 36.8 grams of zinc is 54.8 grams.

Conclusion

To sum up, when 36.8 grams of zinc reacts with sufficient sulfur to produce zinc sulfide, the amount of ZnS generated is 54.8 grams, given that zinc is the limiting reactant. This detailed approach ensures that you can accurately calculate the production of ZnS from zinc in any similar chemical reaction involving this compound.