# Homework Help: Stuck on Reaction Enthalpy Question

1. Nov 30, 2017

### Lori

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
What mass of methane must be combusted with excess oxygen to generate enough heat to warm 675 g of water by 25.0 C? (assume no heat lost to surroundings)

2. Relevant equations
Specific heat of H20= 4.184 J/g*C
q = mCT
balanced equation: CH4 + 2O2 -> CO2 + 2H2O
3. The attempt at a solution
I'm kinda stuck here. Here's what i found...

from stoic, found that 675g H20 is 37.5 mols of H20 and that its 18.75 mols of CH4

I also figured out that the energy the water absorbs from the reaction is 70605 Joules from m*C*T

every reaction of 18.75 mols of CH4 creates 16693.125 KJ but we need 70605 Joules. Thus, 70605 Joules - 16693.125 KJ = 53911.875 J needed ? I kinda paused here though cause im not sure if it's right!

2. Nov 30, 2017

You are warming 675 g of water (in a pot) with a temperature increase $\Delta T=25^o \, C$. You don't need to create 675 g of water. (The water is present in the pot before the reaction). You should know the heat capacity of water is 1.00 cal/(gram-degree centigrade). This allows you to compute the $\Delta Q$ that you need. What is $\Delta H$ per mole for this methane reaction? Then you can compute the number of moles of methane you need.

3. Nov 30, 2017

### Lori

Is it right to say that the Q of water (m*C*T) is the heat we need to be generated by the combustion?

4. Nov 30, 2017

Yes .$Q=mC \, \Delta T$ and $C=1.00 cal/(gram-degree Centigrade)$.

5. Nov 30, 2017

### Lori

How come we use C = 1.00 instead of 4.184?

6. Nov 30, 2017

### Lori

Oh ! 4.184 J = 1 cal

Ok.. so i found that Q for water is 70.605 Joules and that 1mole CH4/890.3 KJ, using dimensional analysis, i will need 0.079 moles of CH4 which is 1.27 g CH4 needed

7. Nov 30, 2017