How many oxygen atoms are present in 52.06 g of carbon dioxide (CO_2)?

• A. 9.03 × 10^{24}
• B. 3.01 × 10^{23}
• C. 1.80 × 10^{24}
• D. 6.02 × 10^{23}

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Calculate the molar mass of carbon dioxide (CO\_2) by adding the atomic masses of carbon and oxygen: Molar mass = atomic mass of C + 2 × atomic mass of O = 12.01 g/mol + 2 × 16.00 g/mol.
2. Determine the number of moles of CO\_2 in 52.06 g by using the formula: \(\text{moles of CO\_2} = \frac{\text{mass of CO\_2}}{\text{molar mass of CO\_2}}\).
3. Use Avogadro's number (\$6.022 \times 10^{23}\( molecules/mol) to find the total number of CO\_2 molecules: \)\text{number of molecules} = \text{moles of CO\_2} \times 6.022 \times 10^{23}$.
4. Since each CO\_2 molecule contains 2 oxygen atoms, multiply the number of CO\_2 molecules by 2 to get the total number of oxygen atoms: \(\text{oxygen atoms} = 2 \times \text{number of CO\_2 molecules}\).
5. Express the final answer in scientific notation to match the format of the options given.