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Select the correct answer.

The atomic mass of potassium is 39.1. What is the mass of [tex]$6.02 \times 10^{23}$[/tex] atoms of potassium?

A. [tex]39.1 \, \text{mg}[/tex]
B. [tex]39.1 \, \text{g}[/tex]
C. [tex]39.1 \, \text{kg}[/tex]
D. [tex]6.02 \times 39.1 \, \text{mg}[/tex]
E. [tex]6.02 \times 39.1 \, \text{g}[/tex]

Answer :

Sure, let's break down the problem step-by-step.

We are given the atomic mass of potassium, which is 39.1 grams per mole. Additionally, it is important to know Avogadro's number, which is [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms per mole. This number tells us how many atoms are in one mole of any substance.

The question asks us for the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium.

1. Understanding the Problem:
- Atomic mass of potassium = 39.1 grams per mole
- Number of potassium atoms provided = [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms

2. Connection Between Moles and Number of Atoms:
- By definition, 1 mole of potassium (or any element) contains [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms.

3. Mass Calculation:
- Since [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium is exactly 1 mole of potassium, we can directly use the given atomic mass to find the mass.
- Thus, the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium is simply the atomic mass of 1 mole of potassium.

4. Conclusion:
- Therefore, the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium is 39.1 grams.

So, the correct answer is:
B. [tex]\(39.1 \, \text{g}\)[/tex]