What is the mass percent of fluorine in carbon tetrafluoride (CF_4)?

• A. 63.5%
• B. 86.4%
• C. 13.6%
• D. 50.0%

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula of the compound: carbon tetrafluoride is CF_4, which means it contains 1 carbon atom and 4 fluorine atoms.
2. Find the atomic masses of each element from the periodic table: carbon (C) has an atomic mass of approximately 12.01 g/mol, and fluorine (F) has an atomic mass of approximately 18.998 g/mol.
3. Calculate the total molar mass of CF_4 by adding the atomic mass of carbon and four times the atomic mass of fluorine: \(M_{CF_4} = M_C + 4 \times M_F\).
4. Calculate the total mass of fluorine in one mole of CF_4 by multiplying the atomic mass of fluorine by 4: \(M_F^{total} = 4 \times M_F\).
5. Determine the mass percent of fluorine in CF_4 using the formula: \(\text{Mass \% of F} = \left( \frac{M_F^{total}}{M_{CF_4}} \right) \times 100\%\).