one of the main components of an airbag is the gas that fills it. as part of the design process, you need to determine the exact amount of nitrogen that should be produced. calculate the number of moles of nitrogen required to fill the airbag. show your work. assume that the nitrogen produced by the chemical reaction is at a temperature of 495°c and that nitrogen gas behaves like an ideal gas.
2nan3 → 2na + 3n2

n N2(g) = 15.367 mol

Explanation:

airbags generally vary between 35 and 60 liters in volume and for the airbag system to activate, it takes about 20 Kgf/cm² of pressure; with this data taken from literature and knowing the temperature of reaction (495 °C), we determine the moles of nitrogen needed from the ideal gas law.

ideal gas law:

∴ P = 20 Kgf/cm² * ( 0.9678 atm / Kgf/cm² ) = 19.356 atm

∴ V = 50 L average volume

∴ R = 0.082 atm * L / K * mol

∴ T = 495°C + 273 = 768 K

⇒ n = PV / RT

⇒ n = ((19.356 atm) * (50 L)) / ((0.082atm*L/K*mol) * (768K))

⇒ n = 15.367 mol N2(g)