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Ch.10 - Gases
Chapter 10, Problem 72a3

(a) What are the mole fractions of H2 in a mixture of 15.08 g of O2, 8.17 g of N2, and 2.64 g of H2?

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Step 1: The first step is to convert the mass of each component to moles. This is done by dividing the mass of each component by its molar mass. The molar mass of O<sub>2</sub> is 32.00 g/mol, N<sub>2</sub> is 28.01 g/mol, and H<sub>2</sub> is 2.02 g/mol.
Step 2: After converting the mass of each component to moles, add up the total number of moles in the mixture. This is done by adding the number of moles of O<sub>2</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>, and H<sub>2</sub> together.
Step 3: The mole fraction of a component in a mixture is the number of moles of that component divided by the total number of moles in the mixture. So, to find the mole fraction of H<sub>2</sub>, divide the number of moles of H<sub>2</sub> by the total number of moles in the mixture.
Step 4: The result from step 3 is the mole fraction of H<sub>2</sub> in the mixture. This value is a ratio and does not have units.
Step 5: Remember that the mole fraction is a way of expressing the concentration of a component in a mixture. It tells us what fraction of the total number of moles in the mixture is made up by a particular component.

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Key Concepts

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

Mole Concept

The mole concept is a fundamental principle in chemistry that relates the mass of a substance to the number of particles it contains. One mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number (approximately 6.022 x 10²³) of entities, whether they are atoms, molecules, or ions. This concept is essential for converting grams of a substance to moles, which is necessary for calculating mole fractions.
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Mole Fraction

Mole fraction is a way of expressing the concentration of a component in a mixture. It is defined as the ratio of the number of moles of a specific component to the total number of moles of all components in the mixture. Mole fractions are dimensionless and provide a useful means of comparing the relative amounts of different substances in a mixture.
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Mass to Moles Conversion

To calculate mole fractions, it is necessary to convert the mass of each component in the mixture to moles. This is done using the formula: moles = mass (g) / molar mass (g/mol). Knowing the molar masses of O₂, N₂, and H₂ allows for the determination of the number of moles of each gas, which is crucial for finding the total moles and subsequently the mole fractions.
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