Household sugar, sucrose, has the molecular formula C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. What is the percent of carbon in sucrose, by mass?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The molar mass of sucrose is 342.3 g/mol. The molar mass of carbon is 12.01 g/mol. There are 12 carbon atoms in a molecule of sucrose. So, the mass of carbon in a molecule of sucrose is 12 * 12.01 = 144.12 g. The percentage of carbon in sucrose, by mass, is (144.12 g / 342.3 g) * 100% = 42.1%.

Household Sugar, Sucrose, Has the Molecular Formula C12H22O11

Household Sugar, Sucrose, Has the Molecular Formula C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁