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How to Calculate the Number of Moles of CO2 Gas Produced

Carbon dioxide, CO2, is the gas produced in every reaction of combustion (burning) or by a decomposition of carbonates, such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3). In chemistry, a mole is a unit of the amount of substance required for quantitative calculations. To calculate the number of moles of a gas you need to use the gas law that defines the relation between the moles, volume, temperature and pressure.

Things You'll Need

Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Multiply the pressure (in atmospheres) by the volume of the CO2 gas produced (in liters). For example, if 50 liters of CO2 are produced at the pressure of 1.5 atmospheres, then 50 x 1.5 = 75.
- 2
  Add "273" to the temperature in Celsius to convert it to Kelvin (K) degrees. For example, 20 degrees of Celsius corresponds to 20 + 273 = 293 K.
- 3
  Multiply the universal gas constant, 0.08206, by the temperature. In this example, 0.08206 x 293 = 24.04.
- 4
  Divide the product of the pressure and volume by the product of temperature and gas constant to calculate the number of moles of carbon dioxide. In this example, the calculation is 75 / 24.04 = 3.12 moles.

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