Ch.3 - Chemical Reactions and Reaction Stoichiometry

Brown - Chemistry: The Central Science 14th Edition

Brown14th EditionChemistry: The Central ScienceISBN: 9780134414232Not the one you use?Change textbook

Brown 14th Edition

Ch.3 - Chemical Reactions and Reaction Stoichiometry

Problem 26e

Chapter 3, Problem 26e

Calculate the percentage by mass of the indicated element in the following compounds: (e) oxygen in the insect pheromone sulcatol, C8H16O

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: First, we need to calculate the molar mass of the compound sulcatol, C8H16O. The molar mass of carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 g/mol, hydrogen (H) is approximately 1.01 g/mol, and oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol. The molar mass of sulcatol is the sum of the molar masses of all the atoms in the formula, which is (8 * molar mass of C) + (16 * molar mass of H) + (1 * molar mass of O).

Step 2: Next, we calculate the molar mass of the oxygen in the compound. Since there is only one oxygen atom in the formula, the molar mass of oxygen in the compound is simply the molar mass of oxygen, which is 16.00 g/mol.

Step 3: Now, we calculate the percentage by mass of oxygen in the compound. The formula for this is (molar mass of element / molar mass of compound) * 100%.

Step 4: Substitute the molar mass of oxygen and the molar mass of sulcatol into the formula from step 3 to find the percentage by mass of oxygen in sulcatol.

Step 5: The result from step 4 is the percentage by mass of oxygen in the compound sulcatol. Remember to express your answer as a percentage.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is calculated by summing the atomic masses of all the atoms in a chemical formula. For example, in sulcatol (C8H16O), the molar mass is determined by adding the molar masses of 8 carbon (C), 16 hydrogen (H), and 1 oxygen (O) atom.

Percentage by Mass

Percentage by mass is a way to express the concentration of an element in a compound. It is calculated by dividing the mass of the element in one mole of the compound by the total molar mass of the compound, then multiplying by 100. This gives a clear representation of how much of the compound's mass is contributed by the specific element.

Chemical Formula Interpretation

Interpreting a chemical formula involves understanding the composition of a compound based on the symbols and subscripts used. In the formula C8H16O, the subscripts indicate the number of each type of atom present: 8 carbon atoms, 16 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom. This information is crucial for calculating molar mass and subsequently the percentage by mass of any element.

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