Aluminium chloride is synthesised from its constituent elements according to the following balanced equation: 2 Al(s) + 3 Cl ₂ (g) 2 AlCl ₃ (s) If 54 g of Al is reacted with 142 g of Cl ₂ , the maximum mass of AlCl ₃ that can be formed is (Given: Atomic masses of Al and Cl are 27 and 35.5 , respectively.)

Step-by-step solution

The balanced chemical equation is: 2 Al(s) + 3 Cl ₂ (g) 2 AlCl ₃ (s) Number of moles of Al = 54 27 = 2 mol Number of moles of Cl ₂ = 142 71 = 2 mol To identify the limiting reagent, we divide the number of moles by the respective stoichiometric coefficients: For Al : 2 2 = 1 For Cl ₂: 2 3 0.67 Since 0.67 From the stoichiometry, 3 moles of Cl ₂ produce 2 moles of AlCl ₃ . So, 2 moles of Cl ₂ will produce 2 3 2 = 4 3 moles of AlCl ₃ . Molar mass of AlCl ₃ = 27 + 3 35.5 = 27 + 106.5 = 133.5 g mol ⁻¹ Maximum mass of Al