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The fuel used in many disposable lighters is liquid butane, C₄H₁₀. How many carbon atoms are in 2.00 g of butane?

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Final answer:

There are approximately 8.26 x 10^22 carbon atoms in 2.00 g of butane, calculated by first determining the number of moles of butane in the mass and then using Avogadro's number to find the total count of carbon atoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how many carbon atoms are in 2.00 g of butane, we first need to calculate the number of moles of butane this mass represents and then use Avogadro's number to convert moles to atoms. The molecular formula of butane is C4H10, and its molar mass is 58.12 g/mol (4 carbons × 12.01 g/mol + 10 hydrogens × 1.008 g/mol).

First, calculate the number of moles of butane:
moles of butane = mass (g) / molar mass (g/mol) = 2.00 g / 58.12 g/mol ≈ 0.0344 mol

Then, calculate the number of carbon atoms using Avogadro's number (6.022 x 1023 atoms/mol):
number of carbon atoms = moles of butane × 4 (carbon atoms/molecule) × Avogadro's number ≈ 0.0344 mol × 4 × 6.022 x 1023 atoms/mol ≈ 8.26 x 1022 carbon atoms

Therefore, there are approximately 8.26 x 1022 carbon atoms in 2.00 g of butane.

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