What is the Fraction of Electrons Removed from a Charged Ball of Copper?

[tuggler]

Homework Statement

A 48.7 g ball of copper has a net charge of 2.2 µC. What fraction of the copper's electrons have been removed? (Each copper atom has 29 protons, and copper has an atomic mass of 63.5.).

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Number of electrons normally present ..
(48.7/63.5)mol x 6.022^23(atoms per mol) x 29(electrons per atom) = 1.34^24 electrons

Electrons removed = n
ne = 2.20^-6C .. .. n = 2.20^-6C / 1.60^-19C/e .. .. n = 1.38^13 electrons removed

Fraction removed = 1.38^13 removed / 1.34^24 total

But the answer is wrong. I don't know what I am doing wrong?

 

[voko]

Number of electrons normally present ..
(48.7/63.5)mol x 6.022^23(atoms per mol) x 29(electrons per atom) = 1.34^24 electrons

Check the result. 6.022*10^23 (note the correct notation) times 29 should be pretty close to 180*10^23 ≈ 2*10^25, and 48.7/63.5 is close to 1, so you should be in the 10^25 ballpark, not 10^24.

 

[tuggler]

Yup, you're correct! Thanks. Sometimes it's really hard catching your own mistake. Thanks again!