How many moles of potassium chlorate were necessary to produce eight moles of oxygen?

• 2KClO₃ → 2KCl + 3O₂

To determine how many moles of potassium chlorate (KClO₃) are needed to produce eight moles of oxygen (O₂), we can refer to the balanced chemical equation:

Balanced Equation

The equation is:

2KClO₃ → 2KCl + 3O₂

Understanding the Mole Ratio

This equation shows that:

• 2 moles of KClO₃ produce 3 moles of O₂.

Calculating Required Moles

To find the moles of KClO₃ needed for 8 moles of O₂, we set up a ratio based on the coefficients from the balanced equation:

From the equation, we see:

• 3 moles of O₂ require 2 moles of KClO₃.

Now, we can set up a proportion:

2 moles KClO₃ / 3 moles O₂ = x moles KClO₃ / 8 moles O₂

Solving for x

Cross-multiplying gives:

2 * 8 = 3 * x

Which simplifies to:

16 = 3x

Now, divide both sides by 3:

x = 16/3 ≈ 5.33 moles of KClO₃

Final Answer

Therefore, approximately 5.33 moles of potassium chlorate are necessary to produce eight moles of oxygen.