How Do You Calculate CO Molecules in Air Using PPM and the Ideal Gas Law?

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To calculate the number of carbon monoxide (CO) molecules in air using the ideal gas law, the average concentration of CO at 6.0 ppm must be factored into the calculations. The ideal gas law equation (PV=nRT) is applied, with pressure converted to torr, volume set to 1 L, and temperature converted to Kelvin. It's crucial to include the ppm concentration in the calculations to determine the specific number of CO molecules rather than the total number of gas molecules. The ambiguity in the question regarding whether ppm refers to weight/weight or volume/volume adds complexity to the solution. Properly addressing these factors will yield the correct number of CO molecules in the air sample.
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Homework Statement



The estimated average concentration of carbon monoxide in air in the United States in 1991 was 6.0 ppm. Calculate the number of CO molecules in 1.0 L of this air at a pressure of 601 torr and a temperature of 20.°C.



Homework Equations



pv=nrt

The Attempt at a Solution

I tried this and using pv=nrt
pressure was converted to torr
volume was 1
r was taken as 8.31
temp was converted into K
and then...
n was solved for, and muktiplied by avagadro's number
Am i missing something? am i supposed to include the ppm?
i am so confused.
please help.
 
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ppm is a concentration, so yes, it should be included in your calculations - otherwise you calculated just the number of molecules of all gases in the given volume.

Unfortunately, question is ambiguous - it doesn't state whether ppm is weight/weight or volume/volume.
 
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