Question

1 mole of Silicon atoms contains 6.02 x 1023 atoms. One mole of Silicon atoms

has a mass of 28.1 grams. How many atoms of Si are contained in a computer chip
that has a mass of 38.02 mg?

Answer 1

To find the number of silicon atoms in a 38.02 mg computer chip, convert the mass to grams, calculate the number of moles, and then use Avogadro's number to find that there are approximately 8.139 × 10¹³ atoms of silicon.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the number of silicon atoms in a computer chip weighing 38.02 mg, we need to use Avogadro's number and the molar mass of silicon. Given that one mole of silicon (Si) has a mass of 28.1 grams and contains 6.02 × 1023 atoms, we can solve for the number of atoms in the chip using conversion factors.

First, convert the mass of the chip from milligrams to grams:

• 38.02 mg × (1 g / 1000 mg) = 0.03802 g Si

Next, calculate the number of moles of silicon in the chip:

• 0.03802 g Si × (1 mol Si / 28.1 g Si) = 0.001352 moles Si

Finally, determine the total number of silicon atoms using Avogadro's number:

• 0.001352 mol Si × (6.02 × 1023 atoms/mol) = 8.139 × 1020 Si atoms

Therefore, a computer chip with a mass of 38.02 mg contains approximately 8.139 × 1020 silicon atoms.