Final answer:
To find the mass of nitrogen gas participating in a reaction, multiply the number of moles of nitrogen by the molar mass of diatomic nitrogen, which is 28.02 g/mol. For example, 1 mole of nitrogen would have a mass of 28.02 grams.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the mass of nitrogen gas that participates in a chemical reaction, we need to know the number of moles of nitrogen gas and then use the molar mass of nitrogen to convert the number of moles to grams.
The molar mass of diatomic nitrogen (N₂) is 28.02 g/mol. Therefore, if a chemist has determined the number of moles of nitrogen, the mass of nitrogen gas in grams can be calculated by multiplying the moles by the molar mass.
For example, if the chemist has determined that 1 mole of nitrogen reacts in a chemical equation, the mass of nitrogen participating is calculated as:
Mass = number of moles × molar mass
Mass = 1 mol × 28.02 g/mol
Mass = 28.02 g
This result follows the law of conservation of mass, as the mass of the reactants must equal the mass of the products in a properly balanced chemical equation.