How many carbon atoms are present in 5 moles of ethane (C_2H_6)?

• A. 6.02 \times 10^{24} \text{ atoms}
• B. 6.02 \times 10^{24}
• C. 1.20 \times 10^{25} \text{ atoms}
• D. 3.01 \times 10^{24}

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the molecular formula of ethane, which is \(C_2H_6\), meaning each molecule contains 2 carbon atoms.
2. Determine the number of moles of ethane given, which is 5 moles.
3. Recall Avogadro's number, \$6.02 \times 10^{23}$ molecules per mole, which tells us how many molecules are in one mole of a substance.
4. Calculate the total number of ethane molecules by multiplying the number of moles by Avogadro's number: \$5 \text{ moles} \times 6.02 \times 10^{23} \text{ molecules/mole}$.
5. Multiply the total number of ethane molecules by the number of carbon atoms per molecule (2) to find the total number of carbon atoms: \(\text{total molecules} \times 2\).