IChO 1972 · Theory problem 1

Mixture of two solid elements

A mixture of two solid elements with a mass of 1.52 g was treated with an excess of hydrochloric acid. A volume of 0.896 dm³ of a gas was liberated in this process and 0.56 g of a residue remained which was undissolved in the excess of the acid.

In another experiment, 1.52 g of the same mixture were allowed to react with an excess of a 10 % sodium hydroxide solution. In this case 0.896 dm³ of a gas were also evolved but 0.96 g of an undissolved residue remained.

In the third experiment, 1.52 g of the initial mixture were heated to a high temperature without access of the air. In this way a compound was formed which was totally soluble in hydrochloric acid and 0.448 dm³ of an unknown gas were released. All the gas obtained was introduced into a one litre closed vessel filled with oxygen. After the reaction of the unknown gas with oxygen the pressure in the vessel decreased by approximately ten times (\(T = const\)).

Problem:

1.1 Write chemical equations for the above reactions and prove their correctness by calculations.

In solving the problem consider that the volumes of gases were measured at STP and round up the relative atomic masses to whole numbers.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 1.1 The mixture contains 0.96 g of magnesium and 0.56 g of silicon. The first two experiments release hydrogen, \(\ce{H2}\), [H][H]. Heating produces magnesium silicide, \(\ce{Mg2Si}\), which releases silane, \(\ce{SiH4}\), [SiH4], when treated with hydrochloric acid. The reactions are:

\[ \ce{Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) -> MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)} \]

\[ \ce{Si(s) + 2NaOH(aq) + H2O(l) -> Na2SiO3(aq) + 2H2(g)} \]

\[ \ce{2Mg(s) + Si(s) ->[\Delta] Mg2Si(s)} \]

\[ \ce{Mg2Si(s) + 4HCl(aq) -> 2MgCl2(aq) + SiH4(g)} \]

\[ \ce{SiH4(g) + 2O2(g) -> SiO2(s) + 2H2O(l)} \]

The calculated gas volumes are respectively 0.896, 0.896, and 0.448 dm³. Relative to the original oxygen pressure, the final pressure is approximately \(0.104p_0\), a 9.6-fold decrease, neglecting water vapour.

Solution

1.1

Use the STP molar gas volume \[ V_m=22.4\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}} \] and whole-number atomic masses \(A_r(\ce{Mg})=24\) and \(A_r(\ce{Si})=28\).

Identifying the elements.

Each of the first two experiments produces \[ n(\ce{H2})=\frac{0.896}{22.4} =0.0400\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

The masses dissolved in acid and alkali are \[ m_{\text{acid}}=1.52-0.56=0.96\ \mathrm{g}, \qquad m_{\text{alkali}}=1.52-0.96=0.56\ \mathrm{g}. \]

Formation of one mole of hydrogen requires two moles of electrons. Thus, if an element loses \(z\) electrons per atom, its molar mass \(M\) satisfies \[ \frac{M}{z}=\frac{m}{2n(\ce{H2})}. \]

For the acid-reactive component, \[ \frac{M}{z}=\frac{0.96}{2(0.0400)} =12\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \] Magnesium, which is oxidized from oxidation state \(0\) to \(+2\), satisfies this relation: \[ \frac{24}{2}=12. \] It reacts with hydrochloric acid to form magnesium chloride and hydrogen. The calculated volume is \[ V_{\text{acid}}(\ce{H2}) =\frac{0.96\ \mathrm{g}}{24\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} \times22.4\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}} =0.896\ \mathrm{dm^3}. \]

For the alkali-reactive component, \[ \frac{M}{z}=\frac{0.56}{2(0.0400)} =7.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \] Silicon, oxidized from \(0\) to \(+4\) in silicate, satisfies \[ \frac{28}{4}=7. \] Silicon resists hydrochloric acid but reacts with aqueous sodium hydroxide, producing soluble silicate and two moles of hydrogen per mole of silicon: \[ V_{\text{alkali}}(\ce{H2}) =2\frac{0.56\ \mathrm{g}}{28\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} \times22.4\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}} =0.896\ \mathrm{dm^3}. \]

Magnesium is not appreciably attacked under the stated alkaline conditions. Consequently, the residues are \(0.56\ \mathrm{g}\) of silicon after acid treatment and \(0.96\ \mathrm{g}\) of magnesium after alkali treatment, as required.

Formation and acid treatment of the compound.

The amounts of the elements are \[ n(\ce{Mg})=\frac{0.96}{24}=0.040\ \mathrm{mol}, \qquad n(\ce{Si})=\frac{0.56}{28}=0.020\ \mathrm{mol}. \] Their mole ratio is exactly \(2:1\), matching magnesium silicide, \(\ce{Mg2Si}\). Both elements are therefore completely consumed on heating.

The product amount and mass are \[ n(\ce{Mg2Si})=0.020\ \mathrm{mol}, \] \[ m(\ce{Mg2Si}) =0.020(2\times24+28)=1.52\ \mathrm{g}. \]

Treatment with hydrochloric acid converts the magnesium to soluble magnesium chloride and the silicon to silane. One mole of magnesium silicide gives one mole of silane, so \[ n(\ce{SiH4})=0.020\ \mathrm{mol}, \] \[ V(\ce{SiH4}) =0.020\times22.4 =0.448\ \mathrm{dm^3}. \] This matches the third gas volume and explains the absence of a solid residue.

Reaction with oxygen and the pressure decrease.

Silane burns to solid silicon dioxide and water. With water condensed, both products are removed from the gas phase.

Taking the original oxygen charge as \(1.00\ \mathrm{dm^3}\) at STP, \[ n_0(\ce{O2})=\frac{1.00}{22.4} =0.04464\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Combustion consumes \[ n_{\text{consumed}}(\ce{O2}) =2n(\ce{SiH4}) =0.0400\ \mathrm{mol}. \] The remaining oxygen is therefore \[ n_f(\ce{O2})=0.04464-0.0400 =0.00464\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

At constant temperature and vessel volume, pressure is proportional to the amount of gas: \[ \frac{p_f}{p_0} =\frac{n_f(\ce{O2})}{n_0(\ce{O2})} =\frac{1.00-2(0.448)}{1.00} =0.104. \] Hence \[ \frac{p_0}{p_f}=\frac{1}{0.104}\approx9.6, \] consistent with an approximately tenfold decrease.

The molecular and ionic representations used in the reactions are:

Substance SMILES
Hydrogen, \(\ce{H2}\) [H][H]
Hydrogen chloride, \(\ce{HCl}\), dissolved to give hydrochloric acid Cl; formal dissociated representation: [H+].[Cl-]
Sodium hydroxide, \(\ce{NaOH}\) [Na+].[OH-]
Magnesium chloride, \(\ce{MgCl2}\) [Mg+2].[Cl-].[Cl-]
Sodium metasilicate, \(\ce{Na2SiO3}\), formal representation [Na+].[Na+].[O-][Si](=O)[O-]
Silane, \(\ce{SiH4}\) [SiH4]
Oxygen, \(\ce{O2}\) O=O
Water, \(\ce{H2O}\) O

Silane has tetrahedral geometry around silicon. The metasilicate equation and SMILES are conventional composition-level representations; aqueous silicate speciation involves hydration and acid–base equilibria. Magnesium silicide and silicon dioxide (silica) are extended solids, so neither has a unique molecular SMILES; silica contains a network of linked silicon–oxygen tetrahedra.

The solution was checked against the official solution.