How Does Oil's Behavior on Water Demonstrate Molecular Structure?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of oil on water, specifically examining how the properties of oil molecules relate to atomic and molecular theory. The problem involves calculating the number of oil molecules in a given volume and understanding the implications of their arrangement on the surface of water.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between the mass of oil, the number of molecules, and the area covered by the oil film. Questions include how many molecules are present in a milliliter of oil, the number of molecules per unit area, and the area occupied by a single molecule.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided calculations regarding the number of molecules and their distribution over the area. There is an ongoing exploration of the implications of these calculations, with prompts for deeper thinking about the meaning of the results rather than simply seeking a final answer.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that certain information, such as the specific details of the molecular structure or the assumptions about the arrangement of molecules, is not explicitly stated in the original question, leading to varied interpretations and approaches.

Aleksandar
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The question says:
Suppose that oil consists of molecules of CH2. This means that 1 mol of oil, consisting of 6.02x10^23 molecules, has a mass of 14g. One mililiter of oil has a mass of of 0.95g. When this much oil is poured on water, it does not spread forever but spreads unti it makes a circular film of area 1.5x10^7 cm^2. How does the fact that the oil does not spread forever support the idea of atoms and molecules? Assuming that the oil slick is one molecule thick, with the molecules touching, and the molecules are spheres, ESTIMATE THE SIZE OF AN OIL MOLECULE.

PLEASE HELP! I need answer of the question, as well as how to get to the answer.

Thank you guys in advance
 
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Aleksandar said:
The question says:
Suppose that oil consists of molecules of CH2. This means that 1 mol of oil, consisting of 6.02x10^23 molecules, has a mass of 14g. One mililiter of oil has a mass of of 0.95g. When this much oil is poured on water, it does not spread forever but spreads unti it makes a circular film of area 1.5x10^7 cm^2. How does the fact that the oil does not spread forever support the idea of atoms and molecules? Assuming that the oil slick is one molecule thick, with the molecules touching, and the molecules are spheres, ESTIMATE THE SIZE OF AN OIL MOLECULE.

PLEASE HELP! I need answer of the question, as well as how to get to the answer.

Thank you guys in advance
How many molecules are in the 1ml oil film? What is the no. of molecules/unit area? What is the area occupied by one molecule?

AM
 
That is the question. I don't know, it wasn't stated in the question.
 
Aleksandar said:
That is the question. I don't know, it wasn't stated in the question.
?? You are expected to figure it out! Just ask yourself the first two questions I posed: 1. how many molecules in .95 grams (ie. .95/14 moles)? That is the number of molecules spread over the given area. 2. How many molecules per unit area? (divide the answer in 1. by the area)

AM
 
Well, I got 4.085x10^22 molecules, and when I divided with the area, I got 2.723x10^15. Is that my final answer??
 
Aleksandar said:
Well, I got 4.085x10^22 molecules, and when I divided with the area, I got 2.723x10^15. Is that my final answer??
What does your answer mean? You have to actually apply some independent thinking to the question! If that many molecules take up that much area, how much does one take up?

AM
 

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