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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
All textbooksBrown 14th EditionCh.3 - Chemical Reactions and Reaction StoichiometryProblem 33b
Chapter 3, Problem 33b

What is the mass, in kilograms, of an Avogadro's number of people, if the average mass of a person is 160 lb? How does this compare with the mass of Earth, 5.98⨉1024 kg?

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1
Convert the average mass of a person from pounds to kilograms. Recall that 1 pound is approximately equal to 0.453592 kilograms.
Calculate the total mass of Avogadro's number of people. Use Avogadro's number, which is approximately 6.022 x 1023, and multiply it by the mass of one person in kilograms.
Compare the calculated mass of Avogadro's number of people with the mass of Earth. The mass of Earth is given as 5.98 x 1024 kg.
Reflect on the magnitude of the numbers obtained. Consider how the mass of Avogadro's number of people relates to the mass of Earth in terms of orders of magnitude.
Discuss the implications or interesting points about the comparison, such as the feasibility or physical meaning behind having Avogadro's number of people and how it relates to understanding large numbers in chemistry.

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Key Concepts

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

Avogadro's Number

Avogadro's number, approximately 6.022 x 10^23, is the number of constituent particles, usually atoms or molecules, in one mole of a substance. This concept is fundamental in chemistry for converting between the number of particles and the amount of substance in moles, allowing for calculations involving large quantities of matter.

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion is the process of converting a quantity expressed in one set of units to another. In this question, it involves converting the average mass of a person from pounds to kilograms, which is essential for accurately calculating the total mass of Avogadro's number of people and comparing it to the mass of the Earth.
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Conversion Factors

Mass Comparison

Mass comparison involves evaluating the relative sizes of different masses. In this context, it requires calculating the total mass of Avogadro's number of people and comparing it to the mass of the Earth, which helps in understanding the scale of human mass relative to planetary mass and provides insight into the vastness of Earth’s mass.
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Atomic Mass Comparison Example
Related Practice
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Calculate the following quantities: (a) mass, in grams, of 0.105 mol sucrose (C12H22O11)

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If Avogadro's number of pennies is divided equally among the 321 million men, women, and children in the United States, how many dollars would each receive?

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(a) What is the mass, in grams, of one mole of 12C?

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