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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] \quad 39.1 \, \text{mg} [/tex]

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

C. [tex] \quad 39.1 \, \text{kg} [/tex]

D. [tex] \quad 6.02 \times 39.1 \, \text{mg} [/tex]

E. [tex] \quad 6.02 \times 39.1 \, \text{g} [/tex]

Answer :

Certainly! Let's determine the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium.

1. Understand Atomic Mass and Avogadro's Number:
- The atomic mass of potassium is given as 39.1. This means that one mole (which is [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms due to Avogadro's number) of potassium atoms has a mass of 39.1 grams.

2. Relate Atomic Mass to a Mole:
- By definition, a mole of any element contains Avogadro's number of atoms, which is [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms.

3. Calculate the Mass of the Given Quantity of Atoms:
- Since the question asks for the mass of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] atoms of potassium, this is exactly one mole of potassium.
- Hence, the mass is simply the atomic mass of potassium, which is 39.1 grams.

Given these steps, the correct answer is:
B. 39.1 g