Question

study the chemical equation below. then answer questions 1 - 4. (s = sulfur and o = oxygen) s₂ + o₄ → so₂ 1. does the chemical equation above follow the law of conservation of mass? why or why not? no because the number of sulfer and oxygen atoms is not the same on both sides of the chemical equation 2. tatum thinks that 2so₂ would cause the chemical equation on the previous page to follow conservation of mass. axel says that 4so₂ would. who is correct and why? 3. if s₂ weighs 64 amu and o₄ also weighs 64 amu, how much should the product weigh and why? 4. if 4 so₂ molecules were produced in the chemical reaction, how many sulfurs must have been present in the reactants and why?

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze atom - counts for Law of Conservation

In the equation $S_2 + O_4
ightarrow SO_2$, on the left - hand side, there are 2 sulfur atoms and 4 oxygen atoms. On the right - hand side, there is 1 sulfur atom and 2 oxygen atoms. So, it does not follow the Law of Conservation of Mass.

Step2: Balance the equation for question 2

The balanced equation for the reaction of $S_2$ and $O_4$ should be $S_2+O_4
ightarrow 2SO_2$. Tatum is correct because in $2SO_2$, there are 2 sulfur atoms and 4 oxygen atoms, which match the number of sulfur and oxygen atoms in the reactants $S_2$ and $O_4$.

Step3: Apply Law of Conservation for mass in question 3

According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products. Given $S_2$ weighs 64 amu and $O_4$ weighs 64 amu, the total mass of reactants is $64 + 64=128$ amu. So the product should weigh 128 amu.

Step4: Determine sulfur atoms in reactants for question 4

Each $SO_2$ molecule contains 1 sulfur atom. If 4 $SO_2$ molecules are produced, then the number of sulfur atoms in the products is 4. Since the number of sulfur atoms is conserved in a chemical reaction, there must have been 4 sulfur atoms in the reactants.

Answer:

1. No, because the number of sulfur and oxygen atoms is not the same on both sides of the chemical equation.
2. Tatum is correct. Because in $2SO_2$, the number of sulfur and oxygen atoms matches the number of sulfur and oxygen atoms in $S_2$ and $O_4$.
3. 128 amu, because according to the Law of Conservation of Mass, the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.
4. 4 sulfur atoms, because the number of sulfur atoms is conserved in a chemical reaction and each $SO_2$ molecule contains 1 sulfur atom.