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Ch.4 - Reactions in Aqueous Solution
Chapter 4, Problem 65

The concentration of alcohol 1CH3CH2OH2 in blood, called the 'blood alcohol concentration' or BAC, is given in units of grams of alcohol per 100 mL of blood. The legal definition of intoxication, in many states of the United States, is that the BAC is 0.08 or higher. What is the concentration of alcohol, in terms of molarity, in blood if the BAC is 0.08?

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Key Concepts

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

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is a measure of the amount of alcohol present in a person's bloodstream, expressed in grams of alcohol per 100 mL of blood. A BAC of 0.08 means there are 0.08 grams of alcohol in every 100 mL of blood, which is a common legal threshold for intoxication in many jurisdictions.
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Molarity

Molarity is a way to express the concentration of a solution, defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. It is commonly used in chemistry to quantify the concentration of substances in a solution, allowing for easy calculations in chemical reactions and analyses.
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Conversion from grams to moles

To convert grams of a substance to moles, one must use the molar mass of the substance, which is the mass of one mole of that substance in grams. For ethanol (C2H5OH), the molar mass is approximately 46.07 g/mol. This conversion is essential for calculating molarity from a given mass concentration.
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