How many moles of copper (Cu) are required to produce 1 mole of copper(I) oxide (Cu2O)?

• A. 2 moles
• B. 3 moles
• C. 0.5 moles
• D. 1 mole

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula of copper(I) oxide, which is \(\mathrm{Cu_2O}\). This means each formula unit contains 2 atoms of copper (Cu) and 1 atom of oxygen (O).
2. Understand that to produce 1 mole of \(\mathrm{Cu_2O}\), you need the copper atoms that make up that mole of the compound. Since 1 mole of \(\mathrm{Cu_2O}\) contains 2 moles of copper atoms, the amount of copper required corresponds to these 2 moles.
3. Set up the relationship: Number of moles of copper required = 2 × (number of moles of \(\mathrm{Cu_2O}\) produced).
4. Substitute the given value: For 1 mole of \(\mathrm{Cu_2O}\), the moles of copper needed = 2 × 1 mole = 2 moles.
5. Conclude that 2 moles of copper are required to produce 1 mole of copper(I) oxide.