College

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 :

To find the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium, we start by considering the atomic mass of potassium, which is given as 39.1 grams per mole.

1. Know Avogadro's Number: Avogadro's number is [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms per mole. This indicates that one mole of any substance contains [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms.

2. Relate Atomic Mass to Moles: The atomic mass of potassium is 39.1 grams per mole. This means one mole (or [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms) of potassium has a mass of 39.1 grams.

3. Determine the Mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] Atoms: Since [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium represent exactly one mole, the mass of these atoms is simply the atomic mass, which is 39.1 grams.

Thus, the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium is 39.1 grams. The correct answer is:

B. [tex]\(39.1 \, \text{g}\)[/tex]