Question #4c9dc

1 Answer
Jul 18, 2017

#1 * 10^(21)#

Explanation:

Start by converting the initial mass of carbon dioxide to moles by using the compound's molar mass

#200 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("mg"))) * (1color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g"))))/(10^3color(red)(cancel(color(black)("mg")))) * "1 mole CO"_2/(44.01 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g")))) = 4.54 * 10^(-3)# #"moles CO"_2#

Now, you know that after #"X"# molecules of carbon dioxide are removed from the sample, you are left with #2.89 * 10^(-3)# moles of carbon dioxide.

This means that you actually removed

#4.54 * 10^(-3)color(white)(.)"moles CO"_2 - 2.89 * 10^(-3)color(white)(.)"moles CO"_2 = 1.65 * 10^(-3)color(white)(.)"moles CO"_2#

All you have to do now is use Avogadro;s constant to convert the number of moles of carbon dioxide that were removed from the sample to molecules.

You know that

#color(blue)(ul(color(black)("1 mole CO"_2 = 6.022 * 10^(23)color(white)(.)"molecules CO"_2)))#

which means that you have

#1.65 * 10^(-3)color(red)(cancel(color(black)("moles CO"_2))) * overbrace((6.022 * 10^(23)color(white)(.)"molecules CO"_2)/(1color(red)(cancel(color(black)("mole CO"_2)))))^(color(blue)("Avogadro's constant"))#

# = color(darkgreen)(ul(color(black)(1 * 10^(21)color(white)(.)"molecules CO"_2)))#

The answer must be rounded to one significant figure, the number of sig figs you have for the initial mass of carbon dioxide.