Calculate the molar mass of Ba(C2H3O2)2
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To calculate the molar mass of barium acetate, represented as Ba(C₂H₃O₂)₂, we need to determine the molar mass of each individual atom in the compound and sum them up according to the number of each type of atom present.
Step 1: Identify the components of barium acetate
Barium acetate consists of:
- 1 Barium (Ba) atom
- 4 Carbon (C) atoms (since there are 2 acetate groups, and each contains 2 carbon atoms)
- 6 Hydrogen (H) atoms (since there are 2 acetate groups, and each contains 3 hydrogen atoms)
- 4 Oxygen (O) atoms (since there are 2 acetate groups, and each contains 2 oxygen atoms)
Step 2: Determine the molar mass of each element
Using the periodic table, we find the atomic masses for each element:
- Barium (Ba): approximately 137.33 g/mol
- Carbon (C): approximately 12.01 g/mol
- Hydrogen (H): approximately 1.01 g/mol
- Oxygen (O): approximately 16.00 g/mol
Step 3: Calculate the molar mass for each component
- Barium:
[
1 \times 137.33 \, \text{g/mol} = 137.33 \, \text{g/mol}
] - Carbon:
[
4 \times 12.01 \, \text{g/mol} = 48.04 \, \text{g/mol}
] - Hydrogen:
[
6 \times 1.01 \, \text{g/mol} = 6.06 \, \text{g/mol}
] - Oxygen:
[
4 \times 16.00 \, \text{g/mol} = 64.00 \, \text{g/mol}
]
Step 4: Sum all contributions
Now we add all these contributions together to find the total molar mass of Ba(C₂H₃O₂)₂:
[
\text{Total molar mass} = 137.33 \, \text{g/mol} + 48.04 \, \text{g/mol} + 6.06 \, \text{g/mol} + 64.00 \, \text{g/mol}
]
[
= 255.43 \, \text{g/mol}
]
Conclusion
The molar mass of barium acetate, Ba(C₂H₃O₂)₂, is approximately 255.43 g/mol. This value is essential in chemistry, particularly when preparing solutions, conducting stoichiometric calculations, and performing quantitative analyses. Understanding molar mass helps chemists convert between grams and moles, enabling more accurate and efficient chemical reactions and analyses.