Final answer:
To calculate the number of molecules in 8.73 grams of aspartame, use molar mass and Avogadro's number. The approximate number of molecules is 1.79 × 10^(22).
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the number of molecules in 8.73 grams of aspartame (C₂H₂N₂O₂), we need to use the concept of molar mass and Avogadro's number. First, calculate the molar mass of aspartame by adding up the atomic masses of its constituent elements: C (12.01 g/mol) + 2H (2.02 g/mol) + 2N (28.02 g/mol) + 2O (16.00 g/mol) = 294.29 g/mol. Next, use the molar mass to convert grams to moles by dividing 8.73 g by 294.29 g/mol, which gives approximately 0.0297 moles of aspartame.
Finally, use Avogadro's number (6.022 × 10^(23) molecules/mol) to convert moles to molecules. Multiply the number of moles (0.0297) by Avogadro's number to get the number of molecules in 8.73 grams of aspartame: 0.0297 mol × 6.022 × 10^(23) molecules/mol ≈ 1.79 × 10^(22) molecules.
Learn more about calculating molecules in a given amount of substance