Automakers are always investigating alternative reactions for the generation of gas to inflate air bags, in part because the sodium produced in the decomposition of NaN₃ (see Problem 5.59) presents safety concerns. One system that has been considered is the oxidation of graphite by strontium nitrate, Sr(NO₃)₂, as shown in the equation below:

Suppose that a system is being designed using this reaction and the goal is to generate enough gas to inflate a bag to 61 L and 1.3 atm at 23°C. What is the minimum mass of graphite that should be used in the design of this system?

Data from Problem 5.59

During a collision, automobile air bags are inflated by the N₂ gas formed by the explosive decomposition of sodium azide, NaN₃:

What mass of sodium azide would be needed to inflate a 30.0-L bag to a pressure of 1.40 atm at 25°C?

Transcribed Image Text:

5 C(s) + 2 Sr(NO3)2(s)→2 SrO(s) + 2 N₂(g) + 5 CO₂(g)