What is the molar mass (g/mol) of baking soda NaHCO3? Find the mass of each atom and add them together.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To calculate the molar mass of baking soda (NaHCO₃), we need to determine the mass of each element in the compound, and then sum them up.
The chemical formula for baking soda is NaHCO₃, which contains the following elements:
- Sodium (Na)
- Hydrogen (H)
- Carbon (C)
- Oxygen (O)
Step 1: Find the atomic masses of each element
- Sodium (Na): The atomic mass of sodium is 22.99 g/mol.
- Hydrogen (H): The atomic mass of hydrogen is 1.01 g/mol.
- Carbon (C): The atomic mass of carbon is 12.01 g/mol.
- Oxygen (O): The atomic mass of oxygen is 16.00 g/mol.
Step 2: Multiply the atomic mass of each element by the number of atoms of that element in the compound
- Sodium (Na): 1 atom of Na, so the mass is: 1×22.99=22.99 g/mol1 \times 22.99 = 22.99 \text{ g/mol}1×22.99=22.99 g/mol
- Hydrogen (H): 1 atom of H, so the mass is: 1×1.01=1.01 g/mol1 \times 1.01 = 1.01 \text{ g/mol}1×1.01=1.01 g/mol
- Carbon (C): 1 atom of C, so the mass is: 1×12.01=12.01 g/mol1 \times 12.01 = 12.01 \text{ g/mol}1×12.01=12.01 g/mol
- Oxygen (O): There are 3 atoms of oxygen in NaHCO₃, so the mass is: 3×16.00=48.00 g/mol3 \times 16.00 = 48.00 \text{ g/mol}3×16.00=48.00 g/mol
Step 3: Add the masses of each element together
Now, we add all the individual atomic masses together to get the total molar mass of NaHCO₃:22.99 g/mol+1.01 g/mol+12.01 g/mol+48.00 g/mol=84.01 g/mol22.99 \, \text{g/mol} + 1.01 \, \text{g/mol} + 12.01 \, \text{g/mol} + 48.00 \, \text{g/mol} = 84.01 \, \text{g/mol}22.99g/mol+1.01g/mol+12.01g/mol+48.00g/mol=84.01g/mol
Conclusion:
The molar mass of baking soda (NaHCO₃) is 84.01 g/mol.
This molar mass is the sum of the individual atomic masses of sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, each multiplied by the number of atoms in the formula for NaHCO₃.
