Acid rain forms in the upper atmosphere by the reaction of sulfur trioxide with water forming sulfuric acid.Calculate the mass in grams of 5.65 × 10²¹ molecules of SO₃.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To calculate the mass of $5.65 \times 10^{21}$ molecules of $SO_3$, we first need to determine the molar mass of $SO_3$. The molar mass of sulfur (S) is approximately 32.07 g/mol, and the molar mass of oxygen (O) is about 16.00 g/mol. Since $SO_3$ has one sulfur atom and three oxygen atoms, its molar mass is $32.07 + 3(16.00) = 80.07$ g/mol.Next, we use Avogadro's number ($6.022 \times 10^{23}$ molecules/mol) to find the mass of $5.65 \times 10^{21}$ molecules:$$ \text{Mass} = \frac{5.65 \times 10^{21} \text{ molecules}}{6.022 \times 10^{23} \text{ molecules/mol}} \times 80.07 \text{ g/mol} $$$$ \text{Mass} \approx \frac{5.65}{6.022} \times 10^{-2} \times 80.07 \text{ g} $$$$ \text{Mass} \approx 0.751 \text{ g} $$Therefore, the mass of $5.65 \times 10^{21}$ molecules of $SO_3$ is approximately 0.751 g.

Acid Rain Forms in the Upper Atmosphere by the Reaction