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A student was asked how to convert the number of particles of a substance to its mass in grams. The student provided the following explanation: To convert the number of number molecules of Bismuth(III) nitrate to moles divide by the molar mass of Bismuth(III) nitrate. Do you agree with the student's explanation? Why or why not?

User Skibee
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I partially agree with the student's explanation. The explanation is missing a step to convert the number of molecules to moles, which is an important step in converting the number of particles to mass in grams.

The correct explanation would be:

To convert the number of molecules of Bismuth(III) nitrate to its mass in grams, the following steps must be taken:

Convert the number of molecules to moles. The conversion is done by dividing the number of molecules by Avogadro's number.
Calculate the moles of Bismuth(III) nitrate by dividing the number of molecules by Avogadro's number (NA).
Determine the molar mass of Bismuth(III) nitrate.
Multiply the number of moles of Bismuth(III) nitrate by its molar mass to get its mass in grams.
This method correctly takes into account the conversion of the number of particles to moles and the use of molar mass to convert moles to mass in grams.
User Tom Viner
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