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Ch.2 - Atoms & Elements
Chapter 2, Problem 85

How many silver atoms are there in 3.78 g of silver?

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1
Determine the molar mass of silver (Ag) from the periodic table, which is approximately 107.87 g/mol.
Calculate the number of moles of silver by dividing the given mass (3.78 g) by the molar mass of silver (107.87 g/mol).
Use Avogadro's number, which is approximately 6.022 x 10^23 atoms/mol, to convert moles of silver to atoms.
Multiply the number of moles of silver by Avogadro's number to find the total number of silver atoms.
Ensure all units cancel appropriately, leaving you with the number of atoms as the final unit.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). For silver (Ag), the molar mass is approximately 107.87 g/mol. This value is essential for converting between grams of a substance and the number of moles, which is a fundamental step in determining the number of atoms present in a given mass.
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Avogadro's Number

Avogadro's number, approximately 6.022 x 10²³, is the number of atoms, ions, or molecules in one mole of a substance. This constant allows chemists to relate the macroscopic scale of substances (grams) to the microscopic scale (individual atoms or molecules). It is crucial for calculating the number of atoms in a sample once the number of moles is known.
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Conversion from Grams to Moles

To find the number of atoms in a given mass of a substance, one must first convert grams to moles using the formula: moles = mass (g) / molar mass (g/mol). This conversion is necessary because the number of atoms is directly related to the number of moles, which can then be multiplied by Avogadro's number to find the total number of atoms.
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