High School

What is the percent composition of sulfur in [tex]$H_2SO_4$[/tex]?

A. [tex]$98.1 \%$[/tex]
B. [tex]$2.1 \%$[/tex]
C. [tex]$65.2 \%$[/tex]
D. [tex]$32.7 \%$[/tex]

Answer :

To find the percent composition of sulfur in [tex]\( H_2SO_4 \)[/tex], we need to follow these steps:

1. Identify the molar masses:
- Hydrogen (H) has a molar mass of approximately 1 g/mol.
- Sulfur (S) has a molar mass of approximately 32.07 g/mol.
- Oxygen (O) has a molar mass of approximately 16 g/mol.

2. Determine the molar mass of [tex]\( H_2SO_4 \)[/tex]:
- [tex]\( H_2SO_4 \)[/tex] has 2 hydrogen atoms, 1 sulfur atom, and 4 oxygen atoms.
- Calculating the total molar mass:
[tex]\[
\text{Molar mass of } H_2SO_4 = (2 \times 1) + 32.07 + (4 \times 16)
\][/tex]
- Simplifying the expression:
[tex]\[
= 2 + 32.07 + 64 = 98.07 \, \text{g/mol}
\][/tex]

3. Calculate the percent composition of sulfur:
- The percent composition is calculated as the (mass of sulfur in one mole of the compound) divided by (molar mass of the compound), multiplied by 100.
- So, the calculation is:
[tex]\[
\text{Percent composition of S} = \left(\frac{32.07}{98.07}\right) \times 100
\][/tex]
- After performing the calculation, you will find:
[tex]\[
\approx 32.7 \%
\][/tex]

4. Conclusion:
- The percent composition of sulfur in [tex]\( H_2SO_4 \)[/tex] is approximately 32.7\%.

Therefore, the correct answer is D. [tex]\( 32.7\% \)[/tex].