What mass of coal (expressed in tons) must be consumed in order to obtain 5 tons of tin from a tin ore containing SnO2?

The reduction reaction of tin oxide is described by the following chemical reaction equation.

SnO2 + C = Sn + CO2;

1 mole of metal oxide reacts with 1 mole of carbon. This synthesizes 1 mole of metal and 1 mole of carbon dioxide.

Let’s calculate the chemical amount of a substance in 5 tons of metal oxide.

M SnO2 = 119 + 16 x 2 = 151 grams / mol;

N SnO2 = 5,000,000 / 151 = 33,113 mol;

This reaction will require the same amount of carbon.

Let’s calculate its mass.

M C = 12 grams / mol;

The mass of copper is:

m C = 33 113 x 12 = 397 356 grams 397.4 kg.;