Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships that exist among the reactants and products in chemical reactions.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Stoichiometry is derived from the Greek words stoicheion meaning "element" and metron meaning "measure". It is a calculation used to determine the amount of reactants needed or products formed in a chemical reaction. It is based on the law of conservation of mass and the law of definite proportions.

Principles[edit | edit source]

Stoichiometry is based on several principles:

Law of Conservation of Mass: This law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. Therefore, the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products.

Law of Definite Proportions: This law states that a chemical compound always contains the same elements in the same proportions by mass.

Law of Multiple Proportions: This law states that when two elements combine to form more than one compound, the ratios of the masses of the second element that combine with a fixed mass of the first element are small whole numbers.

Applications[edit | edit source]

Stoichiometry is used in many areas of chemistry and chemical engineering. Some of its applications include:

Chemical synthesis: Stoichiometry is used to determine the quantities of reactants needed to produce a desired amount of product.

Chemical analysis: Stoichiometry is used to determine the composition of a sample by analyzing the amounts of its constituent elements.

Reaction prediction: Stoichiometry is used to predict the amounts of products that will be formed in a chemical reaction.

References[edit | edit source]

Stoichiometry Resources
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