10 c.c of a mixture of hydrogen , carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide mixed with 15cc of oxygen and exploded. The resulting mixture of gases was cooled to the original room temperature and pressure and measured 19 cc. On shaking with potash a further contraction to 12cc took place. Deduce the composition of mixture.
solution:
Let x cc = volume of hydrogen
ycc = volume of CO
z cc = Volume of CO2 [10-(x+y)]
On explosion, the following reactions occur:
2H2 + O2 = 2H2O
x cc (x/2) cc (condensed to occuppy a negligible volume)
2CO + O2 = 2CO2
ycc (y/2)cc y cc
Since the contraction on shaking with potash is due solely to the absorption of CO2,
y+10-(x+y)=7
x = 3
The equations can now be written as :
2H2 + O2 = 2H2O
3cc + 3/2 cc (condensed)
2CO + O2 = 2CO2
ycc y/2 cc ycc
So volume of oxygen required for complete combustion = (3/2 + y/2) cc and since 15 cc of oxygen were originally present and 12 cc of oxygen remain
so 3/2 + y/2 = 3 ------- (1)
y=3 and z=4
Now somebody please explain how 12cc of oxygen remains. I didn't understand eqn (1).