Terrorists often use ammonium nitrate fertilizer as an ingredient in car bombs.

Question

Terrorists often use ammonium nitrate fertilizer as an ingredient in car bombs. When ammonium nitrate explodes, it decomposes to gaseous nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor. The force of the explosion results from the sudden production of a huge volume of hot gas.

A) What volume of gas (in liters) is produced from the explosion of 2.12 m3 of solid NH4NO3? Assume that the gas has a temperature of 505 C and a pressure of 1.00atm. The density of NH4NO3 is 1.725g/cm3

B)Use the following thermodynamic data to calculate the amount of heat (in kilojoules) released in the reaction.

Explanation / Answer

D = 1.725 g/cm3 = 1725 kg/m3

T = 505C = 505+273 = 778 K

P = 1 atm

V = 2.12 m3

mass = D*V = 2.12*1725 = 3657 g of NH4NO3

mol = mass/MW = 3657/80.0434 = 45.6877 mol of NH4NO3

PV = nRT

V = nRT/P = (45.6877 *0.082)(778)/(1) = 2914.6925 L

b)

NH4NO3 ----> N2 + 2 H2O + 1/2 O2

HRxn = Hprod - Hreact = (0 + 2*-241.8 + 0) - (-365.6) = -118 kJ/mol

we have

45.6877 mol so

Q = n*HRxn = 45.6877 *-118 = -5391.1kJ

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