High School

Type the correct answer in the box.

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 are present in 151 grams of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex], follow these steps:

1. Determine the molar mass of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex]:
- The molar mass of sulfur (S) is approximately 32.07 g/mol.
- The molar mass of oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol.
- Since there are 2 oxygen atoms in [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex], the total mass contribution from oxygen is [tex]\( 2 \times 16.00 = 32.00 \)[/tex] g/mol.

2. Add the molar masses of sulfur and oxygen:
- The molar mass of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex] is [tex]\( 32.07 + 32.00 = 64.07 \)[/tex] g/mol.

3. Calculate the number of moles:
- Use the formula:
[tex]\[
\text{moles} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{molar mass}}
\][/tex]
- Substitute the given values:
[tex]\[
\text{moles of } SO_2 = \frac{151 \text{ grams}}{64.07 \text{ g/mol}}
\][/tex]
- Performing the division gives:
[tex]\[
\text{moles of } SO_2 \approx 2.357 \text{ moles}
\][/tex]

So, 151 grams of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex] is equal to approximately 2.357 moles when expressed to three significant figures.