Name: ____________________________________ Date: __________ Bell: ___

Air Bags.Chemistry at its Finest!!! Stoich Review just 4

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In 1990, on a Virginia hilltop, two cars collided in a head-on crash. Would you believe that both drivers
walked away with only minor injuries? A chemical reaction, along with seat belts, saved their lives. This was the first
recorded head-on collision between two cars having air bags.

How does it work? There are actually a series of chemical reactions that take place in an air bag. Sodium azide, NaN3, is
the chemical that produces nitrogen gas to inflate the air bag. Sodium azide pellets, an igniter, and a tightly folded nylon air
bag are stored under a breakaway cover in the steering wheel or dash. The igniter provides a current to decompose the
sodium azide into nitrogen gas and sodium.

Rxn 1: 2 NaN3 (s) 3 N2 (g) + 2 Na (s)

Sodium? Sodium metal? Sodium metal reacts vigorously with oxygen and water. That will never do!! The sodium
immediately reacts with iron (III) oxide also in the pellet to form sodium oxide and iron.

Rxn 2: 6 Na (s) + Fe2O3 (s) 3 Na2O(s) + 2 Fe (s)

Na2O, sodium oxide, is also pretty nasty. Hmmm.Dont worry. Chemistry to the rescue..The sodium oxide reacts
with carbon dioxide and water vapor in the air to form sodium hydrogen carbonate. Sodium hydrogen carbonate?
You mean, sodium bicarbonate? BAKING SODA???? Yup, thats right! Amazing, isnt it.

Rxn 3: Na2O (s) + 2 CO2 (g) + H2O (g) 2 NaHCO3 (s)

Now that you understand the chemistry behind air bags, how about some quality stoich
problems. Show work for all problems and take into account sig fig rules!

1. The drivers air bag requires 0.0650 m3 of nitrogen gas to inflate; no more, no less. The passengers air bag
needs 0.1340 m3. The pellet must have the EXACT amount of sodium azide to produce the correct amount of
nitrogen. Lets say that 130.0 g sodium azide are needed in the drivers side airbag, how much would be needed
for the passengers air bag? EXPLAIN.

2. Basic Moles:
(a) If you have 130.0 g of NaN3, how many moles would that be.

(b) If you have 130.0 g of NaN3, how many molecules do you have?

(c) If you have 130.0 g of NaN3, how many ATOMS do you have? (Remember, for every 1 NaN3, you get ___
atoms)

(d) If you have 0.00401 moles of N2, how many molecules of N2 do you have?

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 (e) If you have 0.00401 moles of N2, how many ATOMS of N do you have? Show work

3. Stoichiometry Practice!!! Use the process!!!!

(a) Referring to reaction 1, if you start off with 130.0 g of NaN3, how many grams of N2 would you make?

(b) Referring to reaction 1, if you start off with 130.0 g of NaN3, how many grams of sodium metal would
you make?

(c) Using how much sodium you made from letter b, how many grams of Fe2O3 would have to be in the
original air bag pellets to completely react with all of the sodium. Use reaction 2.

(d) Again, using how much sodium you made from letter b, how many grams of Na2O would you make in
reaction 2?

(e) With the amount of Na2O that you made in d, finally, how much baking soda would you have left in your
air bag?

(f) If you could sell baking soda back to Krogers for $ 0.80 per pound (1lb = 454 g), how many air bags
would you have to blow to make enough money to pay for a pair of prom tickets at Mason high school.