Saturday, 3 March 2007

SAT Question of the Day

If you burn Na in air, the following reactions take place:
Na + O2 => A
A + O2 => B
Note: A and B are two different substances and the chemical equations are NOT balanced.

What it is the mass percentage of oxygen in substance "A"?

(A) 25.8 %
(B) 41 %
(C) 74.2 %
(D) 59 %
(E) None of the above.

17 comments:

Chemist said...

A could be oxide Na2O, and B superoxide NaO2..Im not sure

obesechicken13 said...

the balanced equation for the fist one should be 4Na+O2=>2Na2O
table of solubilities allowing and oxygen is 16/44 % of the mass of Na2O so 36.36% repeating ?

Anonymous said...

i got A ... =\

Anonymous said...

i dont think whether its balanced or not has anything to do with the mass percentage though does it ..?

Chemist said...

Then if you think that Na2O is A you say that in
23*2+16g....are....16 g of O in
100........are....x
x=25.8%

Anonymous said...

huh ?? where'd the 100 gm come in from ?

Chemist said...

u need to get the mase percentage
if in the molar mass u have 16 g of O then yto find out the percentage u have to find how many grams u have in 100 grms of substance:D

Chemist said...

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Anonymous said...

you dont necessarily have to find the mass percentage from 100 gm of a substance .. you can just use the molar mass ... and im 16

Chemist said...

i dont understand that pls find the mass percentage for Na in NaOH so i can understand how u do that:)

Anonymous said...

molar mass of NaOH = 23+16+1 = 40
mass of Na = 23
mass % of Na in NaOH = 23/40 = 57.7%

this is how i've always done mass percentages. i think if u find it from 100g it just makes the "number usage" easier. like 23g of Na in 100g of a substance makes it 23% .. so i guess its less calculations or something ... but i still like the other way better. its faster

Anonymous said...

edit: 57.5%*

Blog owner said...

Hello guys.
The correct answer is A.
the percentage is 25.8%.
This are the two equations:
4Na + O2 => 2Na2O
2Na2O + O2 => 2Na2O2 (sodium peroxide).

Chemist said...

hahaha:)) its the same thing
when u make 23/40=0.575, and then u multiply it by 100
but i make
in 40.........23
in 1003........x

its just the same thing:))
its 23*100/40=(23/40)*100

Anonymous said...

OK I dont know the mass of sodium :\ but what was the purpose of the second equation?
Charlie unwanting to log in

Chemist said...

In some cases Na can form directly Na2O2...so the second ecuation is to know that A its not the peroxide:D

obesechicken13 said...

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