What is the mass percent of sulfur in SO_2?

• A. 25.0%
• B. 50.0%
• C. 33.3%
• D. 66.7%

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula of the compound, which is sulfur dioxide (SO_2). This means the compound contains 1 sulfur (S) atom and 2 oxygen (O) atoms.
2. Find the atomic masses of sulfur and oxygen from the periodic table. Typically, sulfur has an atomic mass of approximately 32.07 g/mol, and oxygen has an atomic mass of approximately 16.00 g/mol.
3. Calculate the molar mass of SO_2 by adding the atomic mass of sulfur and twice the atomic mass of oxygen: \(M_{SO_2} = M_S + 2 \times M_O\).
4. Calculate the mass percent of sulfur in SO_2 using the formula: \(\text{Mass \% of S} = \left( \frac{M_S}{M_{SO_2}} \right) \times 100\%\).
5. Substitute the values into the formula and simplify to find the mass percent of sulfur in SO_2.