Solved: Nitroglycerin (C3H5N3O9) is a powerful explosive.

QUESTION:

Nitroglycerin \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{~N}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{9}\right)\) is a powerful explosive. Its decomposition may be represented by

\(4 \mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{~N}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{9} \longrightarrow 6 \mathrm{~N}_{2}+12 \mathrm{CO}_{2}+10 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}+\mathrm{O}_{2}\)

This reaction generates a large amount of heat and many gaseous products. It is the sudden formation of these gases, together with their rapid expansion, that produces the explosion.

(a) What is the maximum amount of \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\) in grams that can be obtained from \(2.00 \times 10^{2} \mathrm{~g}\) of nitroglycerin?

(b) Calculate the percent yield in this reaction if the amount of \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\) generated is found to be \(6.55 \mathrm{~g}\).