Stoichiometry Help: Calculating NaOH for CO2 Removal in a Spacecraft

[Rawlzilla]

As early as the 1938, the use of NAOH was suggested as a means of removing CO2 from the cabin of a spacecraft according to the reaction:

2NaOH+CO2--->Na2CO3+H2O

If the average human body discharges 592g of CO2 per day, how much NaOH is needed each day for each person in the spacecraft ?

 

[Char. Limit]

This is a homework problem and belongs in the homework section. Nevertheless, I'll help you answer it.

You know that stoichiometry only works with moles, right? So you need those grams to be moles. Here's a constant to help out a bit...

mw CO₂ = C + 2*O = 44.0096 g/mol

Then find the moles of NaOH per CO2 and go from there.