What is the molecular mass of Na2CO3?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the molecular mass of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). To find this, we will need to sum the atomic masses of its constituent elements: sodium (Na), carbon (C), and oxygen (O).
Answer
105.99 g/mol
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is 105.99 g/mol
Steps to Solve
- Find the atomic masses of each element in Na2CO3: Sodium (Na), Carbon (C), and Oxygen (O)
The atomic masses are as follows:
- Na: 22.99 g/mol
- C: 12.01 g/mol
- O: 16.00 g/mol
- Multiply the atomic mass of each element by the number of atoms of that element in the compound
Na2CO3 contains:
- 2 atoms of Sodium (Na)
- 1 atom of Carbon (C)
- 3 atoms of Oxygen (O)
- Calculate the total mass contributed by each element
$$2 \times 22.99 \text{ g/mol} = 45.98 \text{ g/mol}$$ (for Na) $$1 \times 12.01 \text{ g/mol} = 12.01 \text{ g/mol}$$ (for C) $$3 \times 16.00 \text{ g/mol} = 48.00 \text{ g/mol}$$ (for O)
- Sum the contributions of each element to find the molecular mass of Na2CO3
$$45.98 \text{ g/mol} + 12.01 \text{ g/mol} + 48.00 \text{ g/mol} = 105.99 \text{ g/mol}$$
The final answer is 105.99 g/mol
More Information
The molecular mass of a compound is crucial for various calculations in chemistry, including stoichiometry, reacting mass calculations, and conversions between moles and grams.
Tips
Common mistakes include using incorrect atomic masses or not multiplying the atomic mass by the number atoms of each element present in the compound.