Final answer:
To find the mass of barium in a 620 mg tablet of barium sulfate, multiply the tablet's mass by the percentage of barium (58.8%). The calculation yields approximately 364.56 mg of barium in the tablet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to calculate the mass of barium present in a 620 mg tablet of barium sulfate, a compound known for its use in medical imaging. Given that barium sulfate is 58.8% barium by mass, we can calculate the mass of barium in the tablet by multiplying the total mass of the tablet by the percentage of barium.
To find the amount of barium, we use the following calculation:
Mass of barium = (mass of barium sulfate tablet) x (percentage of barium) / 100%
Mass of barium = (620 mg) x (58.8%) / 100
Mass of barium = 620 mg x 0.588
Mass of barium ≈ 364.56 mg
Therefore, a 620 mg tablet of barium sulfate contains approximately 364.56 mg of barium.