College

The atomic mass of potassium is 39.1. What is the mass of [tex]$6.02 \times 10^{23}$[/tex] atoms of potassium?

A. [tex]\quad 39.1 \text{ mg}[/tex]
B. [tex]\quad 39.1 \text{ g}[/tex]
C. [tex]\quad 39.1 \text{ kg}[/tex]
D. [tex]\quad 6.02 \times 39.1 \text{ mg}[/tex]
E. [tex]\quad 6.02 \times 39.1 \text{ g}[/tex]

Answer :

To find the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium, we can use the concept of the atomic mass and Avogadro's number.

1. Understand Atomic Mass and Avogadro's Number:
- The atomic mass of a substance, in this case, potassium, is given as 39.1. This is the mass of one mole of potassium atoms, which is the amount containing [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms (Avogadro's number).

2. Relate Mass and Avogadro's Number:
- Avogadro's number [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] is the number of atoms in one mole of any substance.
- Therefore, the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium is exactly one mole of potassium.

3. Determine the Mass:
- Since [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium represent one mole, the mass of these atoms is simply the atomic mass of one mole of potassium, which is 39.1 grams.

Thus, the correct answer is B. [tex]\(39.1 \, \text{g}\)[/tex].

This step-by-step explanation shows that the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium is 39.1 grams.