Converting 250mg Vitamin C to Atoms: 6.02e23

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In summary, by converting the mass of Vitamin C (250mg) to moles and using Avogadro's number, we can determine that there are 8.59e20 atoms of Vitamin C. This conversion is necessary for better understanding of the molecular structure and composition of Vitamin C and is related to the concept of the mole. Other units such as moles, grams, and kilograms can also be used for conversion, but Avogadro's number provides a more convenient and standardized method. Regardless of the units used, the number of atoms in Vitamin C remains the same due to the constant value of Avogadro's number.
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Beeorz
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Homework Statement


You are given a 250mg tablet of Vitamin C, C6H8O6. How many atoms are in the Vitamin C sample?


The Attempt at a Solution


Formula Mass = 6(12.01)+8(1.01)+6(16.00) = 176.1 g/mol

250mg (1g/1000mg)(1mole/176.1g)(6.02e23molecules/1mole) = 8.546 molecules

How do I convert to atoms? I thought it was the same number but the webassign program said that it was incorrect.
 
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  • #2
First of all - it is not 8.5 molecule, you have missed the exponential part.

Second - take a look at the formula. C6H8O6 - how many carbon atoms in molecule? Hydrogen? Oxygen? Total?
 
  • #3


To convert from molecules to atoms, we need to multiply by Avogadro's number, 6.02e23. This is because one molecule of Vitamin C contains 6 atoms (6 carbon atoms, 8 hydrogen atoms, and 6 oxygen atoms).

Therefore, the number of atoms in 250mg of Vitamin C would be:

8.546 molecules x 6.02e23 atoms/molecule = 5.149e24 atoms

It is important to note that the number of atoms in a sample depends on its mass and the molecular formula of the substance. In this case, we used the molecular formula of Vitamin C, C6H8O6, to determine the number of atoms present in the 250mg sample.
 

1. How many atoms are in 250mg of Vitamin C?

By converting the mass of Vitamin C (250mg) to moles using its molar mass, which is 176.12 g/mol, we can then use Avogadro's number (6.02e23) to determine the number of atoms. The calculation would be: 250mg / 176.12 g/mol x 6.02e23 = 8.59e20 atoms of Vitamin C.

2. Why is it necessary to convert Vitamin C to atoms?

Converting Vitamin C to atoms allows us to better understand its molecular structure and composition. It also helps in determining the amount of Vitamin C present in a given substance, which is important in dietary and health studies.

3. Can other units be used to represent the amount of atoms in Vitamin C?

Yes, other units such as moles, grams, and kilograms can also be used to represent the amount of atoms in Vitamin C. However, using Avogadro's number (6.02e23) is a more convenient and standardized way to convert between these units.

4. How does the conversion of Vitamin C to atoms relate to the concept of the mole?

The concept of the mole, which is a unit used to measure the amount of a substance, is directly related to the conversion of Vitamin C to atoms. This is because one mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number (6.02e23) of particles, which in this case, are atoms of Vitamin C.

5. Is there a difference in the number of atoms when converting between different units of Vitamin C?

No, the number of atoms in Vitamin C remains the same regardless of the units used for conversion. This is because Avogadro's number is a constant and does not change, thus the number of atoms in 250mg of Vitamin C will be the same as in 1 mole or 1 gram of Vitamin C.

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