What are some real life uses of stoichiometry?

When cooking, stoichiometry principles can be applied.

Using the concepts of stoichiometry, you could determine how much of each ingredient you would need if you were almost out of a particular ingredient (using the ingredient you were almost out of as the "limiting reagent").

In many aspects of life, stoichiometry is still helpful. For example, it can help farmers calculate how much fertilizer to apply, calculate how quickly to go a certain distance in a given amount of time, or simply convert between Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Stoichiometry originally served the purpose of relative weight measurements, that evolved into the standard of AMU (Atomic Mass unit), where you compared ratio of a large variety of elements (not compound) with a standardized element - usually Carbon.

Hence, suppose if we break down 10 kg carbon dixodie into Carbon and Oxygen, then the 'volume' occupied will be 3.33 c.c. Carbon, and rest of volume oxygen. Of course going by precision, it is weights we measure. Then Carbon containing box has two times less mass than Oxygen containing box. Hence, the ratio of carbon to Oxygen is 1/2. AMU is 0.5. Comparing the same mass with other elements we get the same.

In practical life, battery cells, in corrosion of House painting, amount of water pollution etc. everything is measured in terms of relative weights a.k.a Atomic mass units.

Some real-life uses of stoichiometry include:

1. Chemical reactions in industry: Stoichiometry is used to determine the quantities of reactants needed and products produced in various industrial processes, such as the production of fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

2. Environmental applications: Stoichiometry helps in understanding and managing environmental processes, such as combustion reactions in engines and the formation of pollutants in the atmosphere.

3. Food and beverage production: Stoichiometry is employed to ensure the proper ratios of ingredients in food and beverage production processes, such as baking, brewing, and fermentation.

4. Environmental remediation: Stoichiometry is applied in environmental cleanup efforts, such as determining the appropriate amounts of reactants needed to neutralize pollutants or contaminants in soil and water.

5. Medicine and pharmacy: Stoichiometry plays a crucial role in pharmaceutical manufacturing, where precise control of reactant ratios is essential to produce safe and effective drugs.

6. Agriculture: Stoichiometry helps optimize fertilizer application by calculating the ideal ratios of nutrients needed for plant growth, minimizing waste and maximizing crop yields.