Final answer:
To find the number of moles of sodium hydroxide formed from 120 grams, we use the molar mass of NaOH (40 g/mol) and find that it is 3.0 moles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student collected 120 grams of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). To calculate the number of moles of NaOH formed, we use the molar mass of NaOH. The molar mass of NaOH is approximately 40 g/mol (23 g/mol for sodium, 16 g/mol for oxygen, and 1 g/mol for hydrogen). Therefore, we can calculate moles using the formula:
Moles = Mass / Molar Mass
By substituting the given values into the formula, we get:
Moles = 120 g / 40 g/mol = 3.0 moles of NaOH
So, the answer to the question is that 3.0 moles of sodium hydroxide were formed in the experiment.