LearnChemE

Interactive Self-Study Module: Reactive Material Balances

Overview:

This module uses screencasts to explain material balances on systems with chemical reactions. Your retention of material in this module will increase if you write down reasons for your answers to ConcepTests, questions in screencasts, and questions to answer before using interactive simulations, and you try to solve the example problems before watching the screencast solutions. We suggest using the learning resources in the following order:

  1. Attempt to answer the multiple-choice ConcepTest and solve the example problem before watching the screencasts.
  2. Watch the screencasts that describe the stoichiometry and reactive material balances and answer the questions within the screencasts.
  3. Review important equations for reactive material balances.
  4. Try to solve the example problems before watching the solutions in the screencasts.
  5. Answer the ConcepTests.
  6. Look at the list of key points, but only after you try to list the key points yourself.
Motivation:
  • Reactions are the basis for almost all chemical processes. 
  • This module is intended for a course in material and energy balances. 

Before studying this module, you should be able to:
After studying this module, you should be able to:
  • Calculate degrees of freedom for material balances of multiple reactions.
  • Use extents of reaction to calculate the amounts of products and reactants when multiple reactions take place.
  • Solve reactive material balance problems for multiple reactions using:
    • molecular species balances
    • extent of reaction
    • atomic species balances