Lithium hydroxide, LiOH, reacts with carbon dioxide to producelithium carbonate, Li2CO3. The chemical equation for this reactionis:
2LiOH(s)+CO2(2)-->Li2CO3(s)+H2O(l)
Carbon dioxide is produced every time a person exhales. Some NASAspacecraft rely on this lithium hydroxide reaction to removeexhaled carbon dioxide from the air inside the spacecraft. Air ispumped through a filter containing lithium hydroxide. Inside thefilter, carbon dioxide is removed from the air when it reacts withlithium hydroxide to produce lithium carbonate.
a) Describe why the amount of lithium hydroxide present limits theamount of time the astronauts can spend in space?
b) Sodium hydroxide, NaOH, reacts the same as lithium hydroxide andis much cheaper. However, sodium hydroxide is about 40 percentheavier than lithium hydroxide. Why do you think NASA uses LiOH onits space missions?
Lithium hydroxide, LiOH, reacts with carbon dioxide to producelithium carbonate, Li2CO3. The chemical equation for this reactionis:
2LiOH(s)+CO2(2)-->Li2CO3(s)+H2O(l)
Carbon dioxide is produced every time a person exhales. Some NASAspacecraft rely on this lithium hydroxide reaction to removeexhaled carbon dioxide from the air inside the spacecraft. Air ispumped through a filter containing lithium hydroxide. Inside thefilter, carbon dioxide is removed from the air when it reacts withlithium hydroxide to produce lithium carbonate.
a) Describe why the amount of lithium hydroxide present limits theamount of time the astronauts can spend in space?
b) Sodium hydroxide, NaOH, reacts the same as lithium hydroxide andis much cheaper. However, sodium hydroxide is about 40 percentheavier than lithium hydroxide. Why do you think NASA uses LiOH onits space missions?
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