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Ch.2 - Atoms & Elements
Chapter 2, Problem 119

A 67.2 g sample of a gold and palladium alloy contains 2.49×1023 atoms. What is the composition (by mass) of the alloy?

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1
Determine the molar mass of gold (Au) and palladium (Pd).
Calculate the total number of moles of atoms in the alloy using Avogadro's number, which is approximately 6.022 * 10^23 atoms per mole.
Assume x moles of gold and y moles of palladium are present in the alloy. Set up the equation x + y = total moles of atoms calculated in step 2.
Use the mass relationship, 197x + 106y = 67.2 g (where 197 is the molar mass of gold and 106 is the molar mass of palladium), to set up a system of equations with the equation from step 3.
Solve the system of equations to find the values of x and y, which represent the moles of gold and palladium, respectively. Then, calculate the mass percentage of each metal in the alloy.

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Key Concepts

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

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). For elements, it corresponds to the atomic mass found on the periodic table. In this problem, knowing the molar masses of gold (Au) and palladium (Pd) is essential to convert the number of atoms into mass, allowing for the determination of the alloy's composition.
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Avogadro's Number

Avogadro's number, approximately 6.022 x 10²³, is the number of atoms, ions, or molecules in one mole of a substance. This concept is crucial for converting between the number of atoms and moles, which is necessary to find the mass of each component in the alloy. In this question, it helps to relate the given number of atoms to the moles of gold and palladium present.
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Mass Percent Composition

Mass percent composition is a way to express the relative amounts of each component in a mixture, calculated as the mass of a component divided by the total mass of the mixture, multiplied by 100. This concept is vital for determining the composition of the gold and palladium alloy by mass, as it allows for the comparison of the individual masses of the metals to the total mass of the alloy.
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