The source of oxygen that drives the internal combustion engine in an automobile is air. Air is a mixture of gases, principally N₂(79%) and O₂(20%). In the cylinder of an automobile engine, 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. (a) Write balanced chemical equations for both reactions.

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Identify the reactants and products for the first reaction: Nitrogen (N2) reacts with Oxygen (O2) to form Nitric Oxide (NO).

Write the unbalanced chemical equation for the first reaction: N2 + O2 -> NO.

Balance the first chemical equation by ensuring the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides. The balanced equation is: N2 + O2 -> 2NO.

Identify the reactants and products for the second reaction: Nitric Oxide (NO) reacts with Oxygen (O2) to form Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).

Write and balance the chemical equation for the second reaction: 2NO + O2 -> 2NO2, ensuring the number of atoms of each element is equal on both sides.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Balanced Chemical Equations

A balanced chemical equation represents a chemical reaction where the number of atoms for each element is the same on both the reactant and product sides. This is crucial for obeying the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. Balancing involves adjusting coefficients in front of compounds to ensure equal atom counts.

Combustion Reactions

Combustion reactions involve the reaction of a fuel with an oxidant, typically oxygen, resulting in the production of heat and light. In the context of an internal combustion engine, hydrocarbons from fuel react with oxygen from the air, producing carbon dioxide and water. Understanding combustion is essential for analyzing the emissions and byproducts, such as nitric oxide, in automotive engines.

Formation of Nitric Oxide and Nitrogen Dioxide

Nitric oxide (NO) is formed when nitrogen (N2) reacts with oxygen (O2) at high temperatures, such as those found in an engine cylinder. This reaction can be represented as N2 + O2 → 2NO. Subsequently, NO can react with additional oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2), represented by the equation 2NO + O2 → 2NO2. These reactions are significant in understanding air pollution and the chemistry of automotive emissions.

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Textbook Question

The source of oxygen that drives the internal combustion engine in an automobile is air. Air is a mixture of gases, principally N₂(79%) and O₂(20%). In the cylinder of an automobile engine, 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. (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 2009, the United States emitted an estimated 19 million tons of nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere. How many grams of nitrogen dioxide is this?

Textbook Question

The source of oxygen that drives the internal combustion engine in an automobile is air. Air is a mixture of gases, principally N₂(79%) and O₂(20%). In the cylinder of an automobile engine, 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. (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 500 g of octane.

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