How many atoms are present in a mole of H2SO4? How many atoms are present in a mole of H2SO4?
The correct answer and explanation is:
A mole of H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) contains 7.02 × 10²³ atoms.
Explanation:
A molecule of H₂SO₄ consists of:
- 2 hydrogen (H) atoms,
- 1 sulfur (S) atom, and
- 4 oxygen (O) atoms.
To calculate the total number of atoms in a mole of H₂SO₄, we need to consider that one mole of any substance contains 6.022 × 10²³ particles (Avogadro’s number). So, for each molecule of H₂SO₄, there are:
- 2 hydrogen atoms,
- 1 sulfur atom,
- 4 oxygen atoms.
In total, each H₂SO₄ molecule has 2 + 1 + 4 = 7 atoms.
Thus, one mole of H₂SO₄ molecules will contain:
(7 atoms/molecule) × (6.022 × 10²³ molecules/mole) = 4.215 × 10²⁴ atoms.
This means that a mole of sulfuric acid contains approximately 4.215 × 10²⁴ atoms in total. If you break it down further:
- 2 × 6.022 × 10²³ hydrogen atoms,
- 1 × 6.022 × 10²³ sulfur atoms,
- 4 × 6.022 × 10²³ oxygen atoms.
This method can be applied to any compound to calculate the number of atoms in a mole, by considering the atomic composition and multiplying by Avogadro’s number.