One mole of LiNO ₃ and one mole of NaNO ₃ are heated separately in closed vessels until complete decomposition occurs. The ratio of the total moles of gases produced by LiNO ₃ to the total moles of gases produced by NaNO ₃ is:

Step-by-step solution

The balanced chemical equations for the thermal decomposition are: 4 LiNO ₃ 2 Li ₂ O + 4 NO ₂ + O ₂ From the equation, 4 moles of LiNO ₃ produce 4 + 1 = 5 moles of gas. Therefore, 1 mole of LiNO ₃ produces 5 4 = 1.25 moles of gas. 2 NaNO ₃ 2 NaNO ₂ + O ₂ From the equation, 2 moles of NaNO ₃ produce 1 mole of gas. Therefore, 1 mole of NaNO ₃ produces 1 2 = 0.5 moles of gas. The required ratio is 1.25 0.5 = 5/4 1/2 = 5 2 , which is 5:2 . Answer: 5:2