IChO 1969 · Theory problem 2

Two potassium-nitrogen-oxygen compounds

A compound A contains 38.67 % of potassium, 13.85 % of nitrogen, and 47.48 % of oxygen. On heating, it is converted to a compound B containing 45.85 % of potassium, 16.47 % of nitrogen, and 37.66 % of oxygen.

Problem:

2.1 What are the stoichiometric formulas of the compounds?

2.2 Write the corresponding chemical equation.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 2.1 A is potassium nitrate, \(\ce{KNO3}\), SMILES [K+].[O-][N+](=O)[O-]. B is potassium nitrite, \(\ce{KNO2}\), SMILES [K+].[O-]N=O.
  • 2.2 \[ \boxed{\ce{2KNO3 ->[\Delta] 2KNO2 + O2(g)}} \] The gas evolved is dioxygen, SMILES O=O.

The salt SMILES specify the constituent ions in one formula unit; they do not describe the crystal lattice.

Solution

2.1

Take a \(100.00\,\mathrm{g}\) sample of each compound. The elemental masses in grams then equal the given percentage values. Using atomic molar masses \[ M(\ce{K})=39.10,\qquad M(\ce{N})=14.01,\qquad M(\ce{O})=16.00\quad \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, \] calculate each amount from \(n=m/M\). For example, for potassium in A, \[ n(\ce{K})=\frac{38.67\,\mathrm{g}} {39.10\,\mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} =0.9890\,\mathrm{mol}. \]

Compound \(n(\ce{K})\), mol \(n(\ce{N})\), mol \(n(\ce{O})\), mol
A 0.9890 0.9886 2.968
B 1.173 1.176 2.354

Dividing by the nitrogen amount in each compound gives the atomic ratios: \[ \begin{aligned} \textbf{A}:\quad \ce{K}:\ce{N}:\ce{O} &\approx 1.000:1.000:3.002 \approx 1:1:3,\\ \textbf{B}:\quad \ce{K}:\ce{N}:\ce{O} &\approx 0.9975:1.000:2.002 \approx 1:1:2. \end{aligned} \]

Therefore the stoichiometric formulas are \[ \boxed{\textbf{A}=\ce{KNO3},\qquad \textbf{B}=\ce{KNO2}.} \]

2.2

On heating, potassium nitrate decomposes into potassium nitrite and oxygen. The formula change retains potassium and nitrogen while removing one oxygen atom per formula unit. Consequently, two formula units release one molecule of dioxygen: \[ \boxed{\ce{2KNO3 ->[\Delta] 2KNO2 + O2(g)}.} \]

Both sides contain two potassium atoms, two nitrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms.

The solution was checked against the official solution.