Question

When butene (C₄H₈) is burnt in an unspecified amount of oxygen (O₂), CO₂ and H₂O are formed. If 25% of total products are formed in this combustion, then the mass percent of butene converted into CO₂ is:

a) 12.5%
b) 25%
c) 37.5%
d) 50%

Answer 1

The question involves the combustion of butene into CO₂ and H₂O. With 25% of the total products being CO₂, it does not necessarily imply that 50% of the mass of butene is converted into CO₂ without additional information.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the combustion of butene (C₄H₈) in oxygen, where the products are carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O). It states that if 25% of the total products are formed in this combustion, we are asked to determine the mass percent of butene that was converted into CO₂.

In a balanced combustion reaction involving butene, the products are indeed CO₂ and H₂O. For every mole of butene burned, multiple moles of CO₂ and H₂O are produced. If we assume the reaction is completely efficient and only produces these two products, the mass of butene converted into CO₂ would be proportional to its molar mass relative to the total mass of the products formed.

Given that 25% of the total products are CO₂, this implies that 25% of the mass of butene is converted to CO₂ assuming that all the carbon in butene ends up as CO₂. However, without more specific information about the balanced equation, we cannot confirm the exact mass percent of butene converted into CO₂. The provided statement suggesting that the answer is 50% is not verifiable with the information given and seems to be incorrect based on typical combustion reactions for hydrocarbons.