How do you calculate the percentage composition of Carbon in #C_2H_6#?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Mar 10, 2016

It really is just asking you what a percent is, and you know that it is just a ratio of #"C"# to #"C"_2"H"_6#.

The molar mass of #"C"# is #"12.011 g/mol"# and the molar mass of #"C"_2"H"_6# is #12.011*2 + 1.0079*6 = "30.0694 g/mol"#.

So, knowing that #"C"_2# in #"C"_2"H"_6# means there are two carbons in the compound, we get:

#(2xx"12.011 g/mol C")/("30.0694 g/mol C"_2"H"_6)xx100%#

#= ("24.022 g/mol C"_2)/("30.0694 g/mol C"_2"H"_6)xx100%#

#= color(blue)(79.89% "C in C"_2"H"_6)#

CHALLENGE: What is the percent composition of #H# in the compound?

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