In 1986 an electrical power plant in Taylorsville, Georgia, burned 8,376,726 tons of coal, a national record at that time. (a) Assuming that the coal was 83% carbon and 2.5% sulfur and that combustion was complete, calculate the number of tons of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide produced by the plant during the year.

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Identify the mass of carbon and sulfur in the coal: Calculate the mass of carbon by multiplying the total mass of coal by the percentage of carbon (83%) and the mass of sulfur by the percentage of sulfur (2.5%).

Convert the mass of carbon to moles: Use the molar mass of carbon (12.01 g/mol) to convert the mass of carbon to moles.

Convert the mass of sulfur to moles: Use the molar mass of sulfur (32.07 g/mol) to convert the mass of sulfur to moles.

Calculate the moles of carbon dioxide produced: Since each mole of carbon produces one mole of carbon dioxide, the moles of carbon dioxide will be equal to the moles of carbon.

Calculate the moles of sulfur dioxide produced: Since each mole of sulfur produces one mole of sulfur dioxide, the moles of sulfur dioxide will be equal to the moles of sulfur.

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Key Concepts

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

Combustion Reaction

A combustion reaction is a chemical process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to produce heat and light. In the case of coal, the primary components, carbon and sulfur, react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), respectively. Understanding this reaction is crucial for calculating the products formed during the combustion of coal.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows us to calculate the amounts of substances consumed and produced in a reaction based on their molar ratios. In this question, stoichiometry is essential for determining the tons of CO2 and SO2 generated from the combustion of the specified amounts of carbon and sulfur in the coal.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is used to convert between the mass of a substance and the number of moles, which is necessary for stoichiometric calculations. For this problem, knowing the molar masses of carbon (12.01 g/mol) and sulfur (32.07 g/mol) is vital for accurately calculating the total emissions of CO2 and SO2 from the coal burned.

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