use this reaction to answer the question.

CH3COOH → CO2 + CH4
Use the table of molar masses to complete the activity.
Element Molar Mass (g/mol)

Carbon 12.01
Hydrogen 1.01
Oxygen 16.00

A chemist will use a sample of 30 g of ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) in an experiment. In one to two sentences, make and justify a claim about the number of moles of ethanol the chemist will use.

1 answer

To determine the number of moles of ethanol (C2H5OH) in a 30 g sample, we first need to calculate its molar mass. The molar mass of ethanol is calculated as follows:

  • Carbon: 2 × 12.01 g/mol = 24.02 g/mol
  • Hydrogen: 6 × 1.01 g/mol = 6.06 g/mol
  • Oxygen: 1 × 16.00 g/mol = 16.00 g/mol

Total molar mass of ethanol (C2H5OH) = 24.02 g/mol + 6.06 g/mol + 16.00 g/mol = 46.08 g/mol.

Next, we can find the number of moles using the formula:

Number of moles = mass (g) / molar mass (g/mol) = 30 g / 46.08 g/mol ≈ 0.65 moles.

Claim: The chemist will use approximately 0.65 moles of ethanol in the experiment. This is justified by calculating the molar mass of ethanol and using it to convert the mass of ethanol into moles.