Given a 10.0 g sample of O_2 gas, what is the molar mass of oxygen (O_2)?

• A. 28.00 g/mol
• B. 16.00 g/mol
• C. 8.00 g/mol
• D. 32.00 g/mol

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the molecular formula of the oxygen gas given, which is O_2, meaning each molecule contains 2 oxygen atoms.
2. Recall the atomic mass of a single oxygen atom from the periodic table, which is approximately 16.00 g/mol.
3. Calculate the molar mass of O_2 by multiplying the atomic mass of oxygen by 2, since there are two oxygen atoms in each molecule: \(\text{Molar mass of } O_2 = 2 \times 16.00 \text{ g/mol}\).
4. Understand that the molar mass represents the mass of one mole of O_2 molecules, which can be used to relate grams of O_2 to moles.
5. Use this molar mass to convert between grams and moles of oxygen gas in any further calculations if needed.