What is the molar mass of CH3CH2OH (ethanol)? Provide your answer to two decimal places.

• A. 48.09 g/mol
• B. 45.06 g/mol
• C. 46.07 g/mol
• D. 44.05 g/mol

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the molecular formula of ethanol, which is CH3CH2OH. This can also be written as C2H6O, meaning it contains 2 carbon (C) atoms, 6 hydrogen (H) atoms, and 1 oxygen (O) atom.
2. Find the atomic masses of each element from the periodic table: Carbon (C) ≈ 12.01 g/mol, Hydrogen (H) ≈ 1.008 g/mol, Oxygen (O) ≈ 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; for hydrogen, multiply 6 by 1.008; for oxygen, multiply 1 by 16.00.
4. Add all these contributions together to get the molar mass of ethanol: \(\text{Molar mass} = (2 \times 12.01) + (6 \times 1.008) + (1 \times 16.00)\).
5. Sum the values from the previous step to find the total molar mass, and then round your answer to two decimal places as requested.