A compound contains 43.84 % carbon atoms,3.65% hydrogen atoms,and 8.68 % fluorine atoms by mass.Each molecule of this compound contains one fluorine atom.What is the total number of carbon,hydrogen,and fluorine atoms in one molecule of this compound?
A)17
B)11
C)10
D)7
E)14

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The compound contains 43.84% carbon, 3.65% hydrogen, and 8.68% fluorine by mass. Given that there is one fluorine atom per molecule, we can use the atomic masses (approximately C = 12, H = 1, F = 19) to find the ratio of atoms in the molecule. The mass percentages suggest the molecule is primarily composed of carbon and hydrogen, with a single fluorine atom. The percentages don't directly translate to the number of atoms because they are based on mass, not count. However, knowing there's one fluorine atom, we can infer the relative amounts of carbon and hydrogen needed to reach the given mass percentages. Given the high percentage of carbon, a rough estimation would suggest multiple carbon atoms, likely in a higher number than hydrogen atoms due to carbon's larger atomic mass. The only option that reasonably fits the criteria of having multiple carbons, more than one hydrogen, and exactly one fluorine, and sums up to a total that could reflect the given mass percentages when considering their atomic masses, is 17. This suggests a molecule with a composition that could include, for example, around 8 carbons (8*12 = 96, close to 43.84%), around 8 hydrogens (8*1 = 8, close to 3.65%), and 1 fluorine (1*19 = 19, close to 8.68%), though the exact composition in terms of atom count might vary, the total count aligns with the option given.

A Compound Contains 43