This chemistry question involves key chemical concepts and calculations. The detailed solution below walks through each step, from identifying the reaction type to computing the final answer.
ScanSolve AI Answer
Hey Luma, good to see you again. Step 1: Identify the decomposition products of lithium nitrate. Lithium nitrate, unlike other alkali metal nitrates, decomposes upon heating to form lithium oxide, nitrogen dioxide gas, and oxygen gas. This is due to lithium's small size and high polarizing power, which makes its decomposition similar to that of Group 2 nitrates. Step 2: Write the unbalanced chemical equation. LiNO_3(s) Li_2O(s) + NO_2(g) + O_2(g) Step 3: Balance the chemical equation. To balance the lithium atoms, we need 2 moles of LiNO_3 to produce 1 mole of Li_2O. 2LiNO_3(s) Li_2O(s) + 2NO_2(g) + O_2(g) Now, let's check the oxygen atoms: Reactants: 2 × 3 = 6 oxygen atoms. Products: 1 (from Li_2O) + (2 × 2) (from NO_2) + 2 (from O_2) = 1 + 4 + 2 = 7 oxygen atoms. The oxygen atoms are not balanced. We need to adjust the coefficients. Let's try starting with 4 moles of LiNO_3. 4LiNO_3(s) 2Li_2O(s) + 4NO_2(g) + O_2(g) Check the balance: Lithium (Li): Reactants = 4, Products = 2 × 2 = 4. (Balanced) Nitrogen (N): Reactants = 4, Products = 4 × 1 = 4. (Balanced) Oxygen (O): Reactants = 4 × 3 = 12. Products = 2 (from Li_2O) + (4 × 2) (from NO_2) + 2 (from O_2) = 2 + 8 + 2 = 12. (Balanced) The balanced chemical equation for the thermal decomposition of lithium nitrate is: 4LiNO_3(s) 2Li_2O(s) + 4NO_2(g) + O_2(g) What's next? Send 'em!