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Week 002 Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is used to determine the amounts of reactants and products in chemical reactions, including those used to remove carbon dioxide from spacecraft. Lithium hydroxide canisters chemically remove carbon dioxide from air through the reaction 2LiOH + CO2 → Li2CO3 + H2O. During the Apollo 13 mission, an explosion forced the astronauts to use the lunar module's lithium hydroxide canisters, which were not the ideal shape but were adapted to continue removing carbon dioxide and prevent poisoning. Modern spacecraft also use molecular sieves made of zeolites to trap carbon dioxide.

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Kimmee Rose
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53 views6 pages

Week 002 Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is used to determine the amounts of reactants and products in chemical reactions, including those used to remove carbon dioxide from spacecraft. Lithium hydroxide canisters chemically remove carbon dioxide from air through the reaction 2LiOH + CO2 → Li2CO3 + H2O. During the Apollo 13 mission, an explosion forced the astronauts to use the lunar module's lithium hydroxide canisters, which were not the ideal shape but were adapted to continue removing carbon dioxide and prevent poisoning. Modern spacecraft also use molecular sieves made of zeolites to trap carbon dioxide.

Uploaded by

Kimmee Rose
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Week 002

Stoichiometry
Week 002: Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry in Space Travel


Carbon Dioxide Poisoning
•Humans produce carbon dioxide as a product of
cellular respiration.

•Plants remove carbon dioxide via photosyntheis

•In spacecrafts, chemical means are needed to eliminate


carbon dioxide

•Carbon dioxide is a toxic gas which can cause death Launch of a space shuttle;

when its percentage in air exceeds 8% https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Space_Shuttle_Atlanti


s_launches_from_KSC_on_STS-132_side_view.jpg; 24-Apr-17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

Lithium Hydroxide Canisters


•Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O →C6H12O6 + 6O2

•Lithium Hydroxide Canisters


2LiOH(S) + CO2(g) →Li2CO3(s) + H2O(l)
https://ruknews.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/plant
s.jpg; 24-Apr-17

• Excess Reactant: CO2

• Limiting Reactant: LiOH

•There should be enough LiOH canisters in the spacecraft to prevent


carbon dioxide poisoning.

LiOH canister;
http://www.space1.com/Artifacts/Apollo_Artifacts/L
iOH_Canister/lioh_canister1a_600.jpg; 24-Apr-17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

Apollo 13 Mission
•Apollo 13 spacecraft launched in the year 1970 with three astronauts.

•An explosion happened in the command module so they were forced to


stay in the lunar module
Apollo 13 astronauts;
•Designed for two people only , the lunar module’s LiOH canisters were https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thu
mb/1/17/Apollo_13_Prime_Crew.jpg/800px-
depleting fast Apollo_13_Prime_Crew.jpg; 24-Apr-17

•LiOH canisters left were not the same shape as the round canisters in
the round module

•They were able to rig a system to use the square canisters from the
command module

LiOH canister adapted for the lunar module;


https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a13/AS13-62-
8929HR.jpg; 24-Apr-17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

New Technologies
•International Space Station also uses molecular sieve to
remove carbon dioxide

•Molecular sieves are zeolites with pores that can trap carbon
dioxide

•Future plans involved growing plants to remove carbon


dioxide naturally.
http://www.divermag.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/01/s118e06298.jpg; 24-Apr-
17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

References
http://science.howstuffworks.com/carbon-dioxide-eliminated-aboard-spacecraft.htm

http://www.space.com/17250-apollo-13-facts.html

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo13.html

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