Input interpretation
styrene | elemental composition
Result
Find the elemental composition for styrene in terms of the atom and mass percents: atom percent = N_i/N_atoms × 100% mass percent = (N_im_i)/m × 100% Plan: • Write the chemical formula and gather atomic masses from the periodic table. • Determine values for N_i, m_i, N_atoms and m using these items. • Finally, compute the percents and check the results. Write the chemical formula: C_6H_5CH=CH_2 Use the chemical formula to count the number of atoms, N_i, for each element and find the total number of atoms, N_atoms, per molecule: | number of atoms C (carbon) | 8 H (hydrogen) | 8 N_atoms = 8 + 8 = 16 Divide each N_i by N_atoms to calculate atom fractions. Then use the property that atom fractions must sum to one to check the work: | number of atoms | atom fraction C (carbon) | 8 | 8/16 H (hydrogen) | 8 | 8/16 Check: 8/16 + 8/16 = 1 Compute atom percents using the atom fractions: | number of atoms | atom percent C (carbon) | 8 | 8/16 × 100% = 50.0% H (hydrogen) | 8 | 8/16 × 100% = 50.0% Look up the atomic mass, m_i, in unified atomic mass units, u, for each element in the periodic table: | number of atoms | atom percent | atomic mass/u C (carbon) | 8 | 50.0% | 12.011 H (hydrogen) | 8 | 50.0% | 1.008 Multiply N_i by m_i to compute the mass for each element. Then sum those values to compute the molecular mass, m: | number of atoms | atom percent | atomic mass/u | mass/u C (carbon) | 8 | 50.0% | 12.011 | 8 × 12.011 = 96.088 H (hydrogen) | 8 | 50.0% | 1.008 | 8 × 1.008 = 8.064 m = 96.088 u + 8.064 u = 104.152 u Divide the mass for each element by m to calculate mass fractions. Then use the property that mass fractions must sum to one to check the work: | number of atoms | atom percent | mass fraction C (carbon) | 8 | 50.0% | 96.088/104.152 H (hydrogen) | 8 | 50.0% | 8.064/104.152 Check: 96.088/104.152 + 8.064/104.152 = 1 Compute mass percents using the mass fractions: Answer: | | | number of atoms | atom percent | mass percent C (carbon) | 8 | 50.0% | 96.088/104.152 × 100% = 92.26% H (hydrogen) | 8 | 50.0% | 8.064/104.152 × 100% = 7.743%
Mass fraction pie chart
Mass fraction pie chart