Textbook Question
Lovastatin, a drug used to lower serum cholesterol.
a. Look up the molecular formula for Lovastatin and calculate the molar mass.
6. Chemical Reactions & Quantities
Calculating Molar Mass
1:31 minutesProblem 11b
Textbook Question
Calculate the molar mass for each of the following:
b. C3H6O3
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the elements present in the compound C₃H₆O₃: Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), and Oxygen (O).
Determine the number of each type of atom in the compound: 3 Carbon atoms, 6 Hydrogen atoms, and 3 Oxygen atoms.
Look up the atomic masses of each element from the periodic table: Carbon (C) = 12.01 g/mol, Hydrogen (H) = 1.008 g/mol, and Oxygen (O) = 16.00 g/mol.
Multiply the atomic mass of each element by the number of atoms of that element in the compound: (3 × 12.01 g/mol) for Carbon, (6 × 1.008 g/mol) for Hydrogen, and (3 × 16.00 g/mol) for Oxygen.
Add the results from the previous step to calculate the total molar mass of C₃H₆O₃: Total Molar Mass = (3 × 12.01) + (6 × 1.008) + (3 × 16.00).
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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 C₃H₆O₃, the molar mass is determined by adding the masses of three carbon (C), six hydrogen (H), and three oxygen (O) atoms.
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Atomic Mass
Atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, measured in atomic mass units (amu). Each element has a specific atomic mass that can be found on the periodic table. For calculating molar mass, the atomic masses of carbon (approximately 12.01 amu), hydrogen (approximately 1.01 amu), and oxygen (approximately 16.00 amu) are used to find the total mass of the compound.
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Chemical Formula
A chemical formula represents the composition of a compound using symbols for the elements and numerical subscripts to indicate the number of atoms of each element. In the case of C₃H₆O₃, the formula indicates that the compound contains three carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms, and three oxygen atoms. Understanding the chemical formula is essential for calculating the molar mass accurately.
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