NASA used canisters filled with lithium hydroxide to remove

NASA used canisters filled with lithium hydroxide to remove carbon dioxide inside the space shuttles. The chemical equation for the reaction is:

2LiOH(s)+CO2(g)=LiCO3(s)+H2O(g)

a. Determine the theoretical mass of lithium hydroxide required for each 5.00 g of carbon dioxide removed from the shuttle.

b. Theoretically, what mass of lithium carbonate, Li2CO3, would be produced for each 5.00 g of carbon dioxide removed from the shuttle?

Part a

The balanced reaction is

2LiOH(s) + CO2(g) = Li2CO3(s) + H2O(g)

Moles of CO2 = mass/molecular weight

= 5g / 44g/mol

= 0.11364 mol

From the stoichiometry of the reaction

1 mol CO2 required = 2 mol LiOH

0.11364 mol CO2 required = 2*0.11364 = 0.2273 mol LiOH

Mass of LiOH = moles x molecular weight

= 0.2273 mol x 23.95 g/mol

= 5.443 g

theoretical mass of lithium hydroxide = 5.443 g

Part b

Moles of Li2CO3 produced = moles of CO2 consumed

= 0.11364 mol

mass of lithium carbonate = moles x molecular weight

= 0.11364 mol x 73.89 g/mol

= 8.396 g