Conversation Transcript
Boss: Please sit down, Employee X. I understand that you have been preparing our gold(III) hydroxide. Is that correct?
Employee X: Yes, Sir. Is there a problem with the product?
Boss: No, the product is fine but our supply of gold(III) chloride has run very low.
Employee X: (nervously) Maybe that’s because I’m working so hard?
Boss: (seriously) Perhaps. Please describe how you are making the gold(III) hydroxide.
Employee X: I mix the sodium hydroxide with the gold(III) chloride solution and our catalyst, then let it settle for about an hour and remove the clear liquid from the top. Then I centrifuge (spin) the sludge. I remove the rest of the liquid and finally, I let the material dry in the oven overnight.
Boss: That’s not a very precise description. How much gold(III) chloride and how much sodium hydroxide do you mix?
Employee X: The first time I used 280 g of gold(III) chloride and 12 g of sodium hydroxide.
Boss: Why did you use those amounts?
Employee X: Those were the numbers I remember from my first day of work. But I only got about 24 g of gold(III)hydroxide. I was told the yield was too low and that I should get more than 200 g of product. So, I increased the amount of all reactants by 10 times.
Boss: (in a surprised voice) Everything?
Employee X: (nervously)Yes.
Boss: Do you have a copy of the laboratory notebook for the reaction specification from your first day at work?
Employee X: (sheepishly) No, I don't. It was easy to remember, so I didn't write it down.
Boss: (frowning) You must write down detailed notes on all reactions.
Boss: So you mixed 2800 g of gold(III) chloride and 120 g of sodium hydroxide?
Employee X: That’s right, (pleased with himself) and I got about 248 g of gold(III) hydroxide, which is significantly higher than 200 g!
Boss: And what happened to the liquid portion of each reaction?
Employee X: I dumped it down the drain, since I had already isolated the product.
Boss: (heavy sigh) How many batches of product have you made with this second combination?
Employee X: Five batches a week for a month.
Boss: As you know gold is very expensive - about $77 per gram. And you made 20 batches?!
Boss: (seriously) This meeting is over. I have a suspicion that something is not right, but I don’t have the time to figure it out. I have hired ChemDetective to investigate this matter. We will resume production only after we have their report. You may take the next 2 days as casual leave. Someone will get in touch with you after we have seen the report from ChemDetective.
question
- How many moles each of gold(III) chloride and sodium hydroxide did Employee X mix in his second reaction?
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