Chapter 3, Problem 111IE

Hydrogen cyanide, HCN, is a poisonous gas. The lethal dose is approximately 300 mg HCN per kilogram of air when inhaled. (a) Calculate the amount of HCN that gives the lethal dose in a small laboratory room measuring 12 × 15 × 8.0 ft. The density of air at 26⁰C is 0.00118 g/cm³. (b) If the HCN is formed by reaction of NaCN with an acid such as H₂SO₄, what mass of NaCN gives the lethal dose in the room?

$\text{2NaCN}\left(\text{s}\right)+{\text{ H}}_2{\text{SO}}_4\left(\text{aq}\right)\to {\text{NaSO}}_4\left(\text{aq}\right)+\text{ 2HCN}\left(\text{g}\right)$

(c) HCN forms when synthetic fibers containing Orlon® or Acrilan® burn. Acrilan® has an empirical formula of CH₂CHCN, so HCN is 50.9% of the formula by mass. A rug measures 12×15 ft and contains 30 oz of Acrilan® fibers per square yard of carpet. If the rug burns, will a lethal dose of HCN be generated in the room? Assume that the yield of HCN from the fibers is 20% and that the carpet is 50% consumed.