Final answer:
To find the mass percent of NaCl in the sample, the formula mass of NaCl (58.44 amu) is used in conjunction with the mass percentage of Na (32.08%). By scaling the mass of Na to the molar mass of NaCl, the calculated mass percent of NaCl in the sample is 81.29%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the mass percent of NaCl in the sample, we must determine the mass contribution of NaCl to the total mass. Using the given elemental analysis, we start by calculating the formula mass of NaCl. The atomic mass of sodium (Na) is 22.99 amu and that of chlorine (Cl) is 35.45 amu, resulting in a formula mass of 58.44 amu for NaCl.
Since the percentage of Na in the sample is 32.08% and NaCl contains one Na atom, we can assume that this percentage comes solely from NaCl (if we temporarily ignore the Na from other compounds). We can use this information to calculate the mass of NaCl in 100 grams of the sample. If 32.08% of the sample is Na, which corresponds to 32.08 grams of Na in a 100-gram sample, then the mass of NaCl can be found by scaling the mass of Na to reflect the full molar mass of NaCl.
Mass of NaCl in the sample: (32.08 g Na / 22.99 g/mol Na) × 58.44 g/mol NaCl = 81.29 g of NaCl per 100 g of the sample. The mass percent of NaCl in the sample is therefore 81.29%.