Long-term space missions require reclamation of the oxygen in the carbon dioxide

Question

Long-term space missions require reclamation of the oxygen in the carbon dioxide exhaled by the crew. In one method of reclamation, 1.00 mol of carbon dioxide produces 1.00 mol of oxygen, with 1.00 mol of methane as a by-product. The methane is stored in a tank under pressure and is available to control the attitude of the spacecraft by controlled venting. A single astronaut exhales 1.20 kg of carbon dioxide each day. If the methane generated in the recycling of three astronauts' respiration during one week of flight is stored in an originally empty 130-L tank at

45.0°C,

what is the final pressure in the tank?
MPa

Explanation / Answer

amount of CO2 exhaled by 3 astronauts in one week is

= 1.22 X 3 X 7

= 25.62kg

molar mass of CO2 is 44 X 10-3 kg/mol

n = 25.62 / 44 X 10-3

n = 582.27 mole

using P V = n R T

P = n R T / V

V = 130 L = 130 X10-3

= 0.13 m3

P = 582.27 X 8.31 X ( 273 - 45 ) / 0.13

P = 8486271.72 Pa

P = 8.48627172 X 106 Pa

P = 8.48627172 MPa

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