Conference paper

A New Approach to Stoichiometric Problem Solving

T. Cvitaš

Abstract

T. Cvitaš
A New Approachz to Stoichiometric Problem Soloving
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
E-mail: cvitas@chem.pmf.hr




It is proposed that stoichiometric problem solving be based on changes of measured physical quantities such as masses, chemical amounts, numbers of molecules, etc. of reactants or products and that the notation be adjusted accordingly: the changes should be denoted by the difference operator as is usual in the field of thermodynamics. Instead of using ratios of masses, amounts, etc. it is better to use ratios of changes in the corresponding quantities. This leads to the appearance of negative values which are automatically compensated by the accepted definition of stoichiometric
numbers. All these changes are mutually related via the extent of reaction and introductory chemistry courses for chemists and related fields should not avoid the concept of extent of reaction. This quantity is, as a "quantity of state" of advancement of the chemical process, essential for the understanding of chemical thermodynamics and chemical kinetics, but it also
shows certain advantages in solving more complicated stoichiometric problems.

Keywords

Stoichiometry; problem solving

Hrčak ID:

2766

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/2766

Publication date:

7.4.2006.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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