What is the molecular mass of SO4?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the molecular mass of the sulfate ion (SO4), which requires knowing the atomic masses of sulfur and oxygen and calculating the total mass based on their quantities in the formula.
Answer
96.07 amu
Answer for screen readers
The molecular mass of the sulfate ion is 96.07 amu
Steps to Solve
- Find the atomic masses of sulfur and oxygen
The atomic mass of sulfur is approximately 32.07 atomic mass units (amu), and the atomic mass of oxygen is approximately 16.00 amu.
- Identify the number of each type of atom in the sulfate ion (SO extsubscript{4})
In the sulfate ion (SO extsubscript{4}), there is 1 sulfur atom and 4 oxygen atoms.
- Calculate the total mass of sulfur atoms
Multiply the atomic mass of sulfur by the number of sulfur atoms: $$ ext{mass of sulfur} = 1 imes 32.07 ext{ amu} = 32.07 ext{ amu}$$
- Calculate the total mass of oxygen atoms
Multiply the atomic mass of oxygen by the number of oxygen atoms: $$ ext{mass of oxygen} = 4 imes 16.00 ext{ amu} = 64.00 ext{ amu}$$
- Add the masses of sulfur and oxygen to find the molecular mass of the sulfate ion
Add the total mass of sulfur and the total mass of oxygen: $$ ext{molecular mass of SO}_4 = 32.07 ext{ amu} + 64.00 ext{ amu} = 96.07 ext{ amu}$$
The molecular mass of the sulfate ion is 96.07 amu
More Information
Molecular mass is a fundamental concept in chemistry and is important for understanding the composition of molecules and their reactions.
Tips
A common mistake is to miscalculate the number of oxygen atoms or to use incorrect atomic masses. Make sure to double-check these values.
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