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Sarah measures out 151 grams of [tex]$SO_2$[/tex]. How many moles is this? Express your answer to three significant figures.

151 grams of [tex]$SO_2$[/tex] is equal to [tex]\square[/tex] moles.

Answer :

To find out how many moles of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex] are in 151 grams, we need to use the concept of molar mass.

Step 1: Determine the molar mass of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex].

- Sulfur (S) has a molar mass of approximately 32.07 grams per mole.
- Oxygen (O) has a molar mass of approximately 16.00 grams per mole, and there are two oxygen atoms in [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex].

Calculate the molar mass of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[
\text{Molar mass of } SO_2 = 32.07 \, \text{g/mol (for S)} + 2 \times 16.00 \, \text{g/mol (for O)} = 64.07 \, \text{g/mol}
\][/tex]

Step 2: Calculate the number of moles of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex].

Now, we use the formula:
[tex]\[
\text{Moles of } SO_2 = \frac{\text{Mass of } SO_2}{\text{Molar mass of } SO_2}
\][/tex]

Substitute the given values:
[tex]\[
\text{Moles of } SO_2 = \frac{151 \, \text{g}}{64.07 \, \text{g/mol}} \approx 2.357 \, \text{moles}
\][/tex]

Therefore, 151 grams of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex] is equal to approximately 2.357 moles.