Find the molar mass of ethanol C2H6O.

Understand the Problem

The question is asking for the molar mass of ethanol, which has the chemical formula C2H6O. To calculate the molar mass, we will sum the atomic masses of each element in the formula, which includes carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).

Answer

The molar mass of ethanol is $46.068 \, \text{g/mol}$.

Steps to Solve

Identify the elements and their quantities
The elements in ethanol, which has the formula $C_2H_6O$, are carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).

There are 2 carbon atoms.
There are 6 hydrogen atoms.
There is 1 oxygen atom.

Find the atomic masses
Using the periodic table, we find the atomic masses of each element:

Carbon (C) = 12.01 g/mol
Hydrogen (H) = 1.008 g/mol
Oxygen (O) = 16.00 g/mol

Calculate the total mass for each element
Now, we calculate the total mass contributed by each element in ethanol:

For carbon:
$$ \text{Mass of Carbon} = 2 \times 12.01 , \text{g/mol} = 24.02 , \text{g/mol} $$
For hydrogen:
$$ \text{Mass of Hydrogen} = 6 \times 1.008 , \text{g/mol} = 6.048 , \text{g/mol} $$
For oxygen:
$$ \text{Mass of Oxygen} = 1 \times 16.00 , \text{g/mol} = 16.00 , \text{g/mol} $$

Add the total masses
Finally, we add the total mass contributions from each element to find the molar mass of ethanol:
$$ \text{Molar Mass of Ethanol} = 24.02 , \text{g/mol} + 6.048 , \text{g/mol} + 16.00 , \text{g/mol} $$
$$ = 46.068 , \text{g/mol} $$

The molar mass of ethanol (C2H6O) is 46.068 g/mol.

More Information

Ethanol is commonly known as alcohol and is widely used in beverages, as a solvent, and in the production of personal care products. The molar mass can be useful in calculating concentrations and in stoichiometry in chemical reactions involving ethanol.

Tips

Forgetting to account for the number of atoms of each element when calculating total mass for each element.
Using incorrect atomic masses from the periodic table.

AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify critical information

Thank you for voting!