What is the mass percent of iron in iron(III) chloride (FeCl_3)?

• A. 34.43%
• B. 45.98%
• C. 52.17%
• D. 26.21%

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula of iron(III) chloride, which is FeCl\_3, meaning it contains 1 atom of iron (Fe) and 3 atoms of chlorine (Cl).
2. Find the atomic masses of the elements involved using the periodic table: iron (Fe) has an atomic mass of approximately 55.85 g/mol, and chlorine (Cl) has an atomic mass of approximately 35.45 g/mol.
3. Calculate the molar mass of FeCl\_3 by adding the atomic mass of iron to three times the atomic mass of chlorine: \(M_{FeCl_3} = M_{Fe} + 3 \times M_{Cl}\).
4. Calculate the mass percent of iron in FeCl\_3 using the formula: \(\text{Mass \% Fe} = \left( \frac{M_{Fe}}{M_{FeCl_3}} \right) \times 100\%\).
5. Substitute the values into the formula and simplify to find the mass percent of iron in iron(III) chloride.