Apyrotechnician mixes 280 g of black powder for a firework. find the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide generated when this firework bursts, if the oxidizing agent in the powder is saltpeter.

There are several issues with this question, as it does not provide the ratios of starting materials that make up the black powder, and do not provide proper products.  the actual reaction is as follows: 10kno₃ + 8c + 3s  → 2k₂co₃ + 3k₂so₄ + 6co₂ + 5n₂as we can see, oxygen and sulfur dioxide gases are not products of this reaction. also, the make up of black powder is roughly 75% kno₃, 15% c, 10% s by mass. we can use this information to answer these questions.we can only find the amount of carbon dioxide formed since neither oxygen or sulfur dioxide are products. therefore, 0 g of each are formed.280 g black powder x 0.75 = 210 g kno₃ / 101.1 g/mol = 2.08 moles kno₃2.08 moles kno₃ x 6 moles co₂/10 moles kno₃ = 1.25 moles co₂1.25 moles co₂ x 44 g/mol = 55 g co₂therefore, only 55 g of co₂ is formed.

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