Calculating an Equation Substance Mass

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Background

A balanced chemical equation for a chemical reaction is really a very compact code for all of the composition information related to the reaction substances. Using a chemical equation, the mass of any reaction substance related to a given mass of another substance can be calculated. Textbook Discussion: Section 5.8, page 123. See Also: Example VIII, page 125; Example XI, page 127; and Example XIV, page 130.

Problem

The following balanced chemical equation represents the combustion of ferrous sulfideFeS):

4 FeS + 7 O₂ ---> 2 Fe₂O₃ + 4 SO₂

According to this balanced chemical equation, how many grams of oxygen are required for the complete combustion of 68.1 grams of ferrous sulfide? Atomic Masses: Fe=55.8 S=32.1 O=16.0 amu.