Identify the chemical formula of the compound, which is sulfur dioxide (SO_2). This means the compound contains 1 sulfur (S) atom and 2 oxygen (O) atoms.
Find the atomic masses of sulfur and oxygen from the periodic table. Typically, sulfur has an atomic mass of approximately 32.07 g/mol, and oxygen has an atomic mass of approximately 16.00 g/mol.
Calculate the molar mass of SO_2 by adding the atomic mass of sulfur and twice the atomic mass of oxygen: \(M_{SO_2} = M_S + 2 \times M_O\).
Calculate the mass percent of sulfur in SO_2 using the formula: \(\text{Mass \% of S} = \left( \frac{M_S}{M_{SO_2}} \right) \times 100\%\).
Substitute the values into the formula and simplify to find the mass percent of sulfur in SO_2.