3. Sodium nitrite is a controversial food preservative added to processed meat and thought to form cancer-causing compounds when heated.

What are the mass percentages of each element in sodium nitrite?



Answer :

Final answer:

The mass percentages of sodium and nitrite in sodium nitrite (NaNO2) are approximately 33.33% and 66.67%, respectively.


Explanation:

Sodium nitrite (NaNO2) contains sodium (Na) and nitrite (NO2) ions. To find the mass percentages of each element in sodium nitrite, we calculate the molar mass of NaNO2 and then determine the mass percentage of sodium and nitrite in the compound.

The molar mass of NaNO2 = 22.99 g/mol (Na) + 14.01 g/mol (N) + 2 16.00 g/mol (O) = 69.00 g/mol.

Mass percentage of sodium in NaNO2 = (22.99 g/mol / 69.00 g/mol) 100% ≈ 33.33%.

Mass percentage of nitrite in NaNO2 = ((14.01 g/mol + 2 16.00 g/mol) / 69.00 g/mol) 100% ≈ 66.67%.


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