To find the mass of calcium carbonate, you need to know the molar mass of calcium carbonate. The molar mass is the sum of the atomic masses of all the atoms in the compound.
The formula for calcium carbonate is CaCO₃. Now, we need to find the molar mass of each element in the compound:
- The atomic mass of calcium (Ca) is approximately 40.08 g/mol.
- The atomic mass of carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 g/mol.
- The atomic mass of oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol.
Next, calculate the molar mass of calcium carbonate by adding the atomic masses of each element in its chemical formula:
Molar mass of CaCO₃ = (Mass of Ca) + (Mass of C) + 3x (Mass of O)
Molar mass of CaCO₃ = (40.08 g/mol) + (12.01 g/mol) + 3 x (16.00 g/mol)
Molar mass of CaCO₃ = 40.08 g/mol + 12.01 g/mol + 48.00 g/mol
Molar mass of CaCO₃ = 100.09 g/mol
Now, we can calculate the mass of 488 moles of calcium carbonate:
Mass of 1 mole of CaCO₃ = 100.09 g
Mass of 488 moles of CaCO₃ = 100.09 g/mol x 488 mol
Mass of 488 moles of CaCO₃ = 48,870.92 g
Therefore, the mass of 488 moles of calcium carbonate is approximately 48,870.92 grams.