High School

One method of sequestering CO₂ in spacecraft is allowing the CO₂ to react with LiOH to produce Li₂CO₃ and H₂O. If 63.4 g of LiOH is allowed to react with excess CO₂, what is the theoretical yield in grams of Li₂CO₃ that would be formed?

A. 63.4
B. 126.8
C. 190.2
D. 254.6

Answer :

Final answer:

The theoretical yield of Li₂CO₃ is 97.824 grams.

Explanation:

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:

2LiOH + CO₂ → Li₂CO₃ + H₂O


To determine the theoretical yield of Li₂CO₃, we first need to calculate the number of moles of LiOH and CO₂. The molar mass of LiOH is 23.95 g/mol, so 63.4 g of LiOH is equal to 2.65 mol (63.4 g / 23.95 g/mol). Since the reaction ratio between LiOH and CO₂ is 2:1, we have 2.65 mol of LiOH reacting with 1.325 mol of CO₂. The molar mass of Li₂CO₃ is 73.89 g/mol, so the theoretical yield of Li₂CO₃ is 97.824 g (1.325 mol * 73.89 g/mol).


Therefore, the theoretical yield of Li₂CO₃ that would be formed is 97.824 grams (option d).