The allowable concentration level of vinyl chloride, C₂H₃Cl, in the atmosphere in a chemical plant is 2.0⨉10⁻⁶ g/L. How many moles of vinyl chloride in each liter does this represent?

Key Concepts

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). For vinyl chloride (C2H3Cl), the molar mass can be calculated by summing the atomic masses of its constituent elements: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and chlorine (Cl). This value is essential for converting between grams and moles, which is necessary for solving the given problem.

Concentration

Concentration refers to the amount of a substance (solute) present in a given volume of solution or mixture. In this case, the concentration of vinyl chloride is given in grams per liter (g/L). Understanding how to interpret and manipulate concentration units is crucial for determining the number of moles from the provided mass concentration.

Avogadro's Number

Avogadro's number, approximately 6.022 x 10^23, is the number of particles (atoms, molecules, etc.) in one mole of a substance. This constant allows chemists to relate the macroscopic scale of substances (grams, liters) to the microscopic scale (molecules, atoms). In this problem, it will be used to convert the calculated moles of vinyl chloride into the number of molecules if needed.