Final answer:
To find the number of aluminum atoms in a 16.2 g aluminum can, divide the mass by aluminum's molar mass (26.98 g/mol) to get moles, and then multiply by Avogadro's number (6.022 × 10^23 atoms/mol).
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many aluminum atoms are in an aluminum can with a mass of 16.2 g, we first need to calculate the number of moles of aluminum in the can. It has been previously established that 1 mole of aluminum has a mass of 26.98 g. Therefore, the number of moles of aluminum in the can is calculated by dividing the mass of the aluminum can by the molar mass of aluminum (16.2 g ÷ 26.98 g/mol).
Once we have the number of moles, we use Avogadro's number (6.022 × 1023 atoms/mol) to convert moles to atoms. This is done by multiplying the number of moles by Avogadro's number. For example, if 1 mole of aluminum contains 6.022 × 1023 aluminum atoms, then the number of atoms present in the aluminum can is calculated by multiplying the previously found number of moles by Avogadro's number.