heat of combustion

123456

Calculate the heat of combustion for C2H6 from the following information:
C2H4 + 3 CO2 --> 2 CO2 + 2 H2O /\H f -1409.5 kJ
C2H4 + H2 --> C2H2 /\H f - 136.7 kJ
H2 + 1/2 O2 --> H2O /\H f - 285.5 kJ

i saw someone else ask this question and they were referred to look at Hess's law.. i have done that but i am still unable to solve this i am so stuck.
could someone walk through the steps please?

gravenewworld

C2H4 + H2 --> C2H2 /\H f - 136.7 kJ
C2H4 + 3 CO2 --> 2 CO2 + 2 H2O /\H f -1409.5 kJ

these makes no sense(they are not balanced eqs)....did you mean for the product to be C2H6 in the 2nd eq.????????

123456

no, what i wrote was exactly how its written in the book... is it not able to be solved, possibly they made a typo in the book???

Astronuc

This C₂H₄ + H₂ --> C₂H₂ does not make sense.

Try C₂H₄ + H₂ --> C₂H₆ perhaps. If this is in the book, there is a probably a typo.

123456

Ohhh I see what you mean now, when you said it doesnt balance. It must be a typo then. Is there a formula or anything you use to calculate heat of combustion.. or is it just knowledge...???

gravenewworld

play around w/ the equations like a puzzle and treat them like math equations. if two of the same things appear on the left and right side of the arrow you can cancel them out. use those equations to come up w/ the equation for C6H6+O2-->CO2 +O2 (i'm too lazy to balance). Remember, if you flip an equation around you change teh sign of the Enthalpy of the rxn...