What is the molar mass of C2H4O2 (acetic acid)?

• A. 60.05 g/mol
• B. 62.07 g/mol
• C. 58.08 g/mol
• D. 44.02 g/mol

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the molecular formula of acetic acid, which is C2H4O2. This means the molecule contains 2 carbon (C) atoms, 4 hydrogen (H) atoms, and 2 oxygen (O) atoms.
2. Find the atomic masses of each element from the periodic table: carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 g/mol, hydrogen (H) is approximately 1.008 g/mol, and oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol.
3. Calculate the total mass contributed by each element by multiplying the number of atoms by their atomic masses: for carbon, multiply 2 by 12.01 g/mol; for hydrogen, multiply 4 by 1.008 g/mol; for oxygen, multiply 2 by 16.00 g/mol.
4. Add the masses of all the elements together to get the molar mass of acetic acid: total molar mass = (2 × 12.01) + (4 × 1.008) + (2 × 16.00) g/mol.
5. Sum these values to find the molar mass of C2H4O2, which will give you the molar mass of acetic acid in grams per mole.