Ch.1 Chemistry in Our Lives

Timberlake - Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 13th Edition

Timberlake13th EditionChemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134421353Not the one you use?Change textbook

Timberlake 13th Edition

Ch.1 Chemistry in Our Lives

Problem 29

Chapter 1, Problem 29

A container was found in the home of the victim that contained 120 g of ethylene glycol in 450 g of liquid. What was the percentage of ethylene glycol? Express your answer to the ones place.

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the problem. The goal is to calculate the percentage of ethylene glycol in the liquid mixture. The formula for percentage composition is: \( \text{Percentage} = \frac{\text{Mass of component}}{\text{Total mass of mixture}} \times 100 \).

Step 2: Identify the given values. The mass of ethylene glycol is 120 g, and the mass of the liquid is 450 g. The total mass of the mixture is the sum of these two values: \( \text{Total mass} = 120 \text{ g} + 450 \text{ g} \).

Step 3: Substitute the values into the formula. Replace \( \text{Mass of component} \) with 120 g and \( \text{Total mass of mixture} \) with the calculated total mass from Step 2.

Step 4: Perform the division and multiplication. Divide the mass of ethylene glycol by the total mass of the mixture, then multiply the result by 100 to convert it into a percentage.

Step 5: Round the final percentage to the nearest ones place as instructed in the problem.

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Key Concepts

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

Percentage Calculation

Percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. To calculate the percentage of a component in a mixture, you divide the mass of the component by the total mass of the mixture and then multiply by 100. In this case, the percentage of ethylene glycol can be found by taking the mass of ethylene glycol and dividing it by the total mass of the liquid.

Mass of Components

Understanding the mass of individual components in a mixture is crucial for percentage calculations. In this scenario, the mass of ethylene glycol is 120 g, and the total mass of the liquid is 450 g. The total mass for the percentage calculation includes both the ethylene glycol and any other substances present in the liquid.

Significant Figures

Significant figures are important in scientific calculations to ensure precision and accuracy. When expressing the final answer, it is essential to consider the significant figures of the values used in the calculation. In this case, the answer should be rounded to the ones place, which means it should be expressed as a whole number without decimal points.

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