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Topic: Finding moles given the mole fraction but not molar mass?  (Read 1974 times)

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Offline jerm174

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Finding moles given the mole fraction but not molar mass?
« on: November 29, 2013, 05:48:54 PM »
Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, primarily methane and ethane. A typical mixture might have Xmethane=0.915 and Xethane=0.085. Let's assume that we have 15.50g of natural gas in a volume of 15.00L at a temperature of 20.0'C.
1) How many total moles of gas are in the sample?
Does anyone know how to solve this? Given the mass, I can't find the moles because Im not given the molar mass. Im assuming the mole ratios have something to do with it but I can't figure it out. I tried to derive a system of equations to solve for a variable, but there are 3: ntotal, nmethane and nethane.
I know nm/nt + ne/nt = 1.
nm + ne = nt.
15.5 = nm/Mm + ne/Me
There are additional questions, but if I can get help with this part, I will be capable of answering the rest. Thanks!
« Last Edit: November 29, 2013, 06:15:31 PM by jerm174 »

Offline Borek

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Re: Finding moles given the mole fraction?
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2013, 06:03:12 PM »
You have three unknowns and three equations. Just solve.
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