Chapter 3, Problem 91QP

Nitroglycerin $\left({\text{C}}_{\text{3}}{\text{H}}_{\text{5}}{\text{N}}_{\text{3}}{\text{O}}_{\text{9}}\right)$ is a powerful explosive. Its decomposition may be represented by

${\text{4C}}_{\text{3}}{\text{H}}_{\text{5}}{\text{N}}_{\text{3}}{\text{O}}_{\text{9}}\to {\text{ 6N}}_{\text{2}}{\text{ + 12CO}}_{\text{2}}{\text{ + 10H}}_{\text{2}}{\text{O + O}}_{\text{2}}$

This reaction generates a large amount of heat and gaseous products. It is the sudden formation of these gases, together with their rapid expansion, that produces the explosion. (a) What is the maximum amount of ${\text{O}}_{\text{2}}\text{ in grams that can be obtained from 2}\text{.00 }\times \text{ 1}{\text{0}}^{\text{2}}\text{ g}$ of nitroglycerin? (b) Calculate the percent yield in this reaction if the amount of 0₂ generated is found to be 6.55 g.