Question

nitrogen dioxide is a gas commonly found in polluted air. it is produced when nitric oxide in the air reacts with oxygen gas. consider the following reaction: 12 molecules of nitric oxide (no) react with 6 molecules of oxygen (o₂) to produce some amount of nitrogen dioxide (no₂). complete the table below. chemical element number of atoms in the reaction n o during this reaction, how many molecules of nitrogen dioxide (no₂) are produced?

Explanation:

Step1: Count N atoms

Each NO molecule has 1 N atom. There are 12 NO molecules. So the number of N atoms is \(12\times1 = 12\).

Step2: Count O atoms

Each NO molecule has 1 O atom (from NO) and each \(O_2\) molecule has 2 O atoms. For NO: \(12\times1 = 12\) O atoms. For \(O_2\): \(6\times2=12\) O atoms. Total O atoms: \(12 + 12=24\).

Step3: Determine \(NO_2\) molecules

The chemical formula of nitrogen dioxide is \(NO_2\). Let the number of \(NO_2\) molecules be \(x\). From N - atom balance: \(x\times1=12\) (since each \(NO_2\) has 1 N atom). From O - atom balance: \(x\times2 = 24\) (each \(NO_2\) has 2 O atoms). Solving either equation gives \(x = 12\).

Answer:

Chemical element	Number of atoms in the reaction
O	24

Number of \(NO_2\) molecules: 12