Final answer:
The mass of a single carbon atom is determined by dividing the molar mass of carbon, which is 12.011 grams per mole, by Avogadro's number, resulting in approximately 1.99 × 10⁻²³ grams per atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mass of a single atom of carbon can be calculated by dividing the molar mass of carbon by Avogadro's number. We know that the molar mass of carbon is 12.011 grams per mole and Avogadro's number is 6.022 × 1023 atoms per mole. To find the mass of a single carbon atom, we divide the molar mass by Avogadro's number:
Mass of one carbon atom = Molar mass of carbon / Avogadro's number
Mass of one carbon atom = 12.011 g/mol / 6.022 × 10²³ atoms/mol
After performing this calculation, we find that the mass of one carbon atom is approximately 1.99 × 10⁻²³ grams.