To determine the number of moles of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) in a given mass, we need to first find the molar mass of the compound CaCl₂.
1. Find the atomic masses of the elements involved:
- Calcium (Ca) has an atomic mass of approximately 40.08 g/mol.
- Chlorine (Cl) has an atomic mass of approximately 35.453 g/mol.
2. Calculate the molar mass of CaCl₂:
- CaCl₂ consists of 1 calcium atom and 2 chlorine atoms.
- Molar mass of CaCl₂ = (1 × 40.08 g/mol) + (2 × 35.453 g/mol)
- Molar mass = 40.08 g/mol + 70.906 g/mol
- Molar mass = 110.986 g/mol
3. Use the molar mass to convert grams to moles:
- The given mass of CaCl₂ is 23.4 g.
- Number of moles = [tex]\( \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{molar mass}} \)[/tex]
- Number of moles = [tex]\( \frac{23.4 \text{ g}}{110.986 \text{ g/mol}} \)[/tex]
4. Calculate the number of moles:
- Number of moles ≈ 0.21083740291568304
Therefore, there are approximately [tex]\( \boxed{0.21083740291568304} \)[/tex] moles of CaCl₂ in 23.4 grams of the compound.
