If the EPA allowable limit is 30 micrograms per liter how many atoms of uranium are present in 1 L?

1 Answer
May 3, 2018

#7.6*10^(19)# uranium atoms.

Explanation:

The relative atomic mass of uranium is #238.0color(white)(l)"u"# , such that every mole of the atom has a mass of # 238.0color(white)(l)"g"#.

#30color(white)(l)color(blue)("mg")=30*color(blue)(10^(-3)color(white)(l)"g")=3.0*10^(-2)color(white)(l)"g"#

Hence the number of moles of Uranium atoms in a #30color(white)(l)"mg"# sample would be

#3.0*10^(-2)color(white)(l)color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g")))*(1color(white)(l)"mol")/(238.0color(white)(l)color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g"))))=1.26*10^(-4)color(white)(l)"mol"#

Each mole of any substance contains #6.023*10^(23)# particles. Therefore #30color(white)(l)"g"# of uranium would contain

#1.26*10^(-4)color(white)(l)color(red)(cancel(color(black)("mol")))*6.023*10^(23)color(white)(l)"atoms"*color(red)(cancel(color(black)("mol")))^(-1)=7.6*10^(19)color(white)(l) "atoms"#