What is the mass percent of silicon in silicon dioxide (SiO_2)?

• A. 21.2%
• B. 53.3%
• C. 33.3%
• D. 46.7%

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula of silicon dioxide, which is SiO\_2, meaning it contains 1 atom of silicon and 2 atoms of oxygen.
2. Find the atomic masses of silicon and oxygen from the periodic table: approximately 28.09 g/mol for silicon and 16.00 g/mol for oxygen.
3. Calculate the molar mass of silicon dioxide by adding the atomic mass of silicon to twice the atomic mass of oxygen: \(M_{SiO\_2} = M_{Si} + 2 \times M_{O}\).
4. Calculate the mass percent of silicon in silicon dioxide using the formula: \(\text{Mass \% of Si} = \left( \frac{M_{Si}}{M_{SiO\_2}} \right) \times 100\%\).
5. Substitute the values into the formula and simplify to find the mass percent of silicon in SiO\_2.