How many moles of limestone will be required to produce 5.6g of CaO? [Ca =

Explanation

To answer this question, we need to first understand the chemical reaction that occurs when limestone (CaCO₃) decomposes to produce calcium oxide (CaO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). The balanced equation for the reaction is:

\(CaCO_3 \rightarrow CaO + CO_2\)

Now, we are given that 5.6 g of CaO is produced. To find the number of moles of limestone required, we'll first find the number of moles of CaO:

\(moles\:of\:CaO = \frac{mass\:of\:CaO}{molar\:mass\:of\:CaO}\)

Using the given atomic masses, we can determine the molar mass of CaO:

\(molar\:mass\:of\:CaO = Ca + O = 40 + 16 = 56\:g/mol\)

Now we can find the moles of CaO:

\(moles\:of\:CaO = \frac{5.6\:g}{56\:g/mol} = 0.1\:mol\)

Since the balanced equation tells us that 1 mole of limestone (CaCO₃) produces 1 mole of calcium oxide (CaO), the number of moles of limestone required is equal to the number of moles of CaO:

\(moles\:of\:CaCO_3 = moles\:of\:CaO = 0.1\:mol\)

Therefore, the correct answer is 0.10 mol (Option B).