Determine the mass of oxygen that will be required to burn 16 g of sulfur.

The sulfur combustion reaction is described by the following chemical reaction equation:

S + O2 = SO2;

When 1 mol of sulfur is burned, 1 mol of its oxide is synthesized. This is due to the fact that the oxide molecule contains 1 sulfur atom.

Let’s calculate the chemical amount of a substance that is found in 16 grams of sulfur.

M S = 32 grams / mol;

N S = 16/32 = 0.5 mol;

Let’s calculate the weight of 0.5 mol of oxygen.

M O2 = 32 grams / mol;

The weight of the sulfur will be:

m O2 = 32 x 0.5 = 16 grams;

The equal weight of oxygen and sulfur is explained by the fact that the molar mass of two oxygen atoms is equal to the molar mass of one sulfur atom.