Lyle stirs 5.0 grams of salt into a beaker of water. He then adds 15.0 grams of pure iodine to the mixture. If the total mass of the new mixture is 225 grams, what is the mass of the water?

A.
100 grams
B.
20 grams
C.
200 grams
D.
205 grams

1 answer

To find the mass of the water in the mixture, we can use the following equation that relates the total mass of the mixture to the masses of its components:

\[ \text{Total Mass} = \text{Mass of Water} + \text{Mass of Salt} + \text{Mass of Iodine} \]

We are given the following information:

  • Total mass of the mixture = 225 grams
  • Mass of salt = 5.0 grams
  • Mass of iodine = 15.0 grams

Now we can substitute the known values into the equation:

\[ 225 \text{ g} = \text{Mass of Water} + 5.0 \text{ g} + 15.0 \text{ g} \]

Now combine the masses of salt and iodine:

\[ 225 \text{ g} = \text{Mass of Water} + 20.0 \text{ g} \]

To isolate the mass of the water, we subtract 20.0 grams from both sides:

\[ \text{Mass of Water} = 225 \text{ g} - 20.0 \text{ g} = 205 \text{ g} \]

Thus, the mass of the water is:

\[ \boxed{205 \text{ grams}} \]