How much oxygen is required for the complete combustion of 20 liters of carbon monoxide (II). containing 5% nitrogen?

The oxidation reaction of carbon monoxide is described by the following chemical reaction equation:

CO + ½ O2 = CO2;

1 mole of carbon monoxide reacts with ½ mole of oxygen. This synthesizes 1 mol of carbon dioxide.

Let’s determine the chemical amount of a substance in 20 liters of carbon monoxide.

To do this, we divide the volume of gas by the volume of 1 mole of gas.

N CO = 20 / 22.4 = 0.893 mol;

To oxidize such an amount of a substance, 0.89 / 2 = 0.447 mol of oxygen will be needed.

Let’s find its volume.

To do this, multiply the amount of substance by the volume of 1 mole of gas (22.4 liters).

V O2 = 0.447 x 22.4 = 10 liters;