Question

Copper was the first metal to be produced from its ore because it is the easiest to smelt, that is, to refine by heating in the presence of carbon, hence the early occurrence of the Bronze Age. The ore used was most likely malachite which has the chemical formula Cu2(OH)2CO3. What is the mass percent of copper in malachite?

Answer 1

The mass percent of copper in malachite is approximately 28.76%.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical formula of malachite is Cu2(OH)2CO3. To calculate the mass percent of copper in malachite, we need to determine the molar mass of copper and the molar mass of malachite.

The molar mass of copper is 63.55 g/mol and the molar mass of malachite is 221.12 g/mol. In malachite, there are 2 moles of copper for every 1 mole of malachite.

To find the mass percent of copper in malachite, we can use the formula:

Mass percent of copper = (molar mass of copper / molar mass of malachite) x 100%

Substituting the values, we get:

Mass percent of copper = (63.55 g/mol / 221.12 g/mol) x 100% = 28.76%

Therefore, the mass percent of copper in malachite is approximately 28.76%.