Given that the molar mass of sulfuric acid (H_2SO_4) is 98 g/mol, what is the mass of oxygen present in 250 g of H_2SO_4?

• A. 163 g
• B. 80 g
• C. 32 g
• D. 48 g

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the molar mass of sulfuric acid (H_2SO_4), which is given as 98 g/mol. This means one mole of H_2SO_4 weighs 98 grams.
2. Determine the mass contribution of oxygen in one mole of H_2SO_4. Since there are 4 oxygen atoms, and the atomic mass of oxygen is approximately 16 g/mol, calculate the total mass of oxygen as \$4 \times 16 = 64$ g.
3. Calculate the fraction of the total molar mass that is due to oxygen by dividing the mass of oxygen by the molar mass of H_2SO_4: \(\frac{64}{98}\).
4. Use this fraction to find the mass of oxygen in 250 g of H_2SO_4 by multiplying the fraction by 250 g: \$250 \times \frac{64}{98}$.
5. This result gives the mass of oxygen present in 250 g of sulfuric acid.