What is the percent composition of CO2?

1 Answer
Manish Bhardwaj
Apr 17, 2016

Mass percentage of Oxygen is 72.7%
Mass percentage of Carbon is 27.3%

Explanation:

Let us consider we begin with one mole of Carbon dioxide molecules. One mole of Carbon Dioxide has one mole of carbon atoms in all and 2 moles of Oxygen atoms as the ratio of Carbon to Oxygen in carbon Dioxide is 1:2.
One mole of Carbon Dioxide has mass 44 g #mol^(-1) #

One mole of Carbon has mass 12 g #mol^(-1) #

One mole of Oxygen has mass 16 g #mol^(-1) #

Two moles of Oxygen has mass 32 g #mol^(-1) #

mass percentage of Carbon = ( 12 g #mol^(-1) #x 100 / 44 g #mol^(-1) #)

mass percentage of Carbon = 1200 / 44 = 27.3%

mass percentage of Oxygen = ( 32 g #mol^(-1) #x 100 / 44 g #mol^(-1) #)

mass percentage of Oxygen = 3200 / 44 = 72.7%

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