Acetic acid, the compound responsible for the characteristic sour taste of vinegar, has the chemical formula CH3CO2H. This formula provides valuable information about the composition of the molecule:...
- C represents one carbon atom.
- H represents four hydrogen atoms (three from CH3 and one from CO2H).
- O represents two oxygen atoms.
These atoms are bonded together in a specific arrangement to form the acetic acid molecule.
Mole Ratio and Stoichiometry
The chemical formula tells us the ratio of moles of each element in a given amount of acetic acid. In this case, for every 2 moles of oxygen atoms, there are 4 moles of hydrogen atoms. This ratio is crucial for solving stoichiometry problems, where we calculate the amount of reactants and products involved in a chemical reaction.
Solving the Problem
The problem states that we have 31 moles of oxygen in a sample of acetic acid. To find the moles of hydrogen, we can use the mole ratio:
For every 2 moles of oxygen, there are 4 moles of hydrogen. Therefore, if we have 31 moles of oxygen, we can set up a proportion:
2 moles O / 4 moles H = 31 moles O / x moles H
Solving for x, we get:
x moles H = (31 moles O * 4 moles H) / 2 moles O
x moles H = 62 moles H
Rounded to 2 significant digits, the sample contains approximately 62 moles of hydrogen.
Key Takeaways
This problem highlights the importance of understanding chemical formulas and mole ratios in stoichiometry. By applying the concept of mole ratios, we can determine the amount of any element present in a sample of a compound, given the amount of another element.