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Calculate the percentage by mass of sulfur in sulfur trioxide (SO₃). - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question (i) - 2014
Question (i)
Calculate the percentage by mass of sulfur in sulfur trioxide (SO₃).
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Calculate the percentage by mass of sulfur in sulfur trioxide (SO₃). - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question (i) - 2014
Step 1
Calculate the Relative Molecular Mass
Answer
To determine the percentage by mass of sulfur in sulfur trioxide (SO₃), we first need to find its relative molecular mass. The formula for sulfur trioxide contains 1 sulfur atom and 3 oxygen atoms. The atomic masses are approximately:
- Sulfur (S): 32 g/mol
- Oxygen (O): 16 g/mol
Thus, the relative molecular mass (Molar Mass) can be calculated as:
Step 2
Calculate the Percentage by Mass of Sulfur
Answer
Using the relative molecular mass, we can now calculate the percentage by mass of sulfur in SO₃. The formula for percentage by mass is:
ext{Percentage by Mass of Sulfur} = rac{ ext{mass of sulfur}}{ ext{total molar mass}} imes 100Substituting the values:
ext{Percentage by Mass of Sulfur} = rac{32}{80} imes 100 = 40\%