Codeine has the molecular formula C17H19NO3. What is the mass percent of carbon (C) in codeine?

• A. 67.9%
• B. 41.7%
• C. 54.2%
• D. 75.3%

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the molecular formula of codeine: C17H19NO3. This tells us there are 17 carbon atoms, 19 hydrogen atoms, 1 nitrogen atom, and 3 oxygen atoms in one molecule of codeine.
2. Find the atomic masses of each element involved: Carbon (C) = 12.01 g/mol, Hydrogen (H) = 1.008 g/mol, Nitrogen (N) = 14.01 g/mol, Oxygen (O) = 16.00 g/mol.
3. Calculate the total molar mass of codeine by multiplying the number of atoms of each element by their atomic masses and summing all contributions: \(\text{Molar mass} = (17 \times 12.01) + (19 \times 1.008) + (1 \times 14.01) + (3 \times 16.00)\).
4. Calculate the total mass of carbon in one mole of codeine by multiplying the number of carbon atoms by the atomic mass of carbon: \(\text{Mass of C} = 17 \times 12.01\).
5. Calculate the mass percent of carbon by dividing the total mass of carbon by the molar mass of codeine and multiplying by 100: \(\text{Mass \% C} = \left( \frac{\text{Mass of C}}{\text{Molar mass of codeine}} \right) \times 100\).