To find how many molecules of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) are present in a 15-gram sample, follow these steps:
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Calculate the molar mass of SiO₂:
- Molar mass of Si = 28.09 g/mol
- Molar mass of O = 16.00 g/mol
- For 2 oxygen atoms: 2 × 16.00 g/mol = 32.00 g/mol
- Total molar mass of SiO₂ = 28.09 g/mol + 32.00 g/mol = 60.09 g/mol
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Determine the number of moles in the 15-gram sample: \[ \text{Number of moles} = \frac{\text{mass (g)}}{\text{molar mass (g/mol)}} = \frac{15 , \text{g}}{60.09 , \text{g/mol}} \approx 0.2496 , \text{moles} \]
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Use Avogadro's number (approximately \(6.022 \times 10^{23}\) molecules/mol) to find the number of molecules: \[ \text{Number of molecules} = \text{Number of moles} \times \text{Avogadro's number} \] \[ \text{Number of molecules} \approx 0.2496 , \text{moles} \times 6.022 \times 10^{23} , \text{molecules/mol} \approx 1.503 \times 10^{23} , \text{molecules} \]
Thus, the answer is: 1.503×10²³ (1.503 times 10 to the 23rd power).