IChO 1979 · Theory problem 4

Formula of a nitrogen-hydrogen compound X from its thermal decomposition

Compound X contains nitrogen and hydrogen. Strong heating of 3.2 g of X leads to its decomposition without the formation of a solid residue. The resulting mixture of gases is partially absorbed by sulphuric acid (the volume of the gaseous mixture decreased by a factor of 2.8). The non-absorbed gas, that is a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen, occupies under normal conditions a volume of 1.4 dm³ and has a density of 0.786 g dm⁻³.

Determine the formula of compound X.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • Problem 4: Hydrazine, \(\ce{N2H4}\), structure \(\ce{H2N-NH2}\), SMILES NN, fits all the figures if decomposition is incomplete: nominally \(87.5\%\) decomposes, while the remaining hydrazine vapour is absorbed together with ammonia. Complete decomposition solely into ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen is inconsistent with the stated data.

Solution

Composition of the non-absorbed gas.

Use the normal molar gas volume \(22.4\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}}\) and molar masses \(M(\ce{H2})=2\), \(M(\ce{N2})=28\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\). Hydrogen has SMILES [H][H]; nitrogen has SMILES N#N.

The amount and mean molar mass of the non-absorbed gas are

\[ n_{\mathrm{remaining}} =\frac{1.4}{22.4} =0.0625\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

\[ \overline M =\rho V_m =0.786(22.4) =17.6064\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

If \(y\) is its nitrogen mole fraction,

\[ 28y+2(1-y)=17.6064, \qquad y=0.60025\approx0.600. \]

Thus, to the precision relevant here,

\[ n(\ce{N2})=0.0375\ \mathrm{mol}, \qquad n(\ce{H2})=0.0250\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

What is absorbed by sulphuric acid?

The volume reduction gives

\[ n_{\mathrm{absorbed}} =(2.8-1)(0.0625) =0.1125\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

The mass of the remaining gas is

\[ m_{\mathrm{remaining}} =1.4(0.786)=1.1004\ \mathrm{g}, \]

so the absorbed material must weigh

\[ m_{\mathrm{absorbed}} =3.2-1.1004=2.0996\ \mathrm{g}. \]

Ammonia, \(\ce{NH3}\), SMILES N, is the expected basic decomposition product. However, assigning all the absorbed gas to ammonia would give

\[ m_{\mathrm{products}} =1.1004+(0.1125)(17) =3.0129\ \mathrm{g}, \]

which does not equal the stated \(3.2\ \mathrm{g}\). Consequently, that conventional complete-decomposition interpretation does not satisfy all the data.

A consistent hydrazine interpretation.

Hydrazine can give ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen through the balanced overall reactions

\[ \ce{3N2H4 -> 4NH3 + N2}, \]

\[ \ce{N2H4 -> N2 + 2H2}. \]

The observed \(0.0250\ \mathrm{mol}\) of hydrogen corresponds to

\[ n_{\text{second reaction}}(\ce{N2H4}) =\frac{0.0250}{2} =0.0125\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

This also produces \(0.0125\ \mathrm{mol}\) of nitrogen. The other

\[ 0.0375-0.0125=0.0250\ \mathrm{mol} \]

of nitrogen can arise from the first reaction, consuming \(0.0750\ \mathrm{mol}\) of hydrazine and producing \(0.100\ \mathrm{mol}\) of ammonia.

Therefore,

\[ n_{\mathrm{decomposed}}(\ce{N2H4}) =0.0125+0.0750 =0.0875\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

The original sample contains

\[ n_0(\ce{N2H4})=\frac{3.2}{32}=0.100\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

leaving

\[ n_{\mathrm{unchanged}}(\ce{N2H4}) =0.0125\ \mathrm{mol} \]

or \(0.400\ \mathrm{g}\).

If this unchanged hydrazine is present as vapour before absorption, the figures all agree:

\[ n_{\mathrm{absorbed}} =n(\ce{NH3})+n(\ce{N2H4}) =0.100+0.0125 =0.1125\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

\[ m_{\mathrm{absorbed}} =(0.100)(17)+(0.0125)(32) =2.10\ \mathrm{g}, \]

\[ \frac{n_{\mathrm{before}}}{n_{\mathrm{after}}} = \frac{0.100+0.0125+0.0375+0.0250} {0.0375+0.0250} =2.8. \]

The predicted residual density is also correct:

\[ \rho =\frac{(0.0375)(28)+(0.0250)(2)}{1.4} =0.7857\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}} \approx0.786\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}. \]

Both ammonia and hydrazine are absorbed by sulphuric acid, \(\ce{H2SO4}\), SMILES OS(=O)(=O)O, through protonation:

\[ \ce{NH3 + H2SO4 -> NH4+ + HSO4-}, \]

\[ \ce{N2H4 + H2SO4 -> N2H5+ + HSO4-}. \]

The ions are ammonium [NH4+], hydrazinium N[NH3+], and hydrogensulfate OS(=O)(=O)[O-].

Thus hydrazine provides an exact numerical fit, with a decomposed fraction

\[ \frac{0.0875}{0.100}=0.875. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.