Question

Calculate the number of oxygen atoms in a sample of forsterite. Be sure your answer has a unit symbol if necessary, and round it to significant digits.

Answer 1

The specific number of oxygen atoms in a sample of forsterite can be calculated if the quantity of forsterite is known. We need to know the sample's mass or moles, the chemical formula of forsterite, and to apply the stoichiometric relationships along with Avogadro's number while considering significant figures.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the number of oxygen atoms in a sample of forsterite, we must first know its chemical formula and the number of moles or grams of the forsterite sample. Forsterite has a formula of Mg₂SiO₄. This tells us each unit of forsterite contains four oxygen atoms. However, without the quantity of forsterite sample, we cannot proceed to calculate the exact number of oxygen atoms. Assuming we have a specific amount of forsterite, in moles, the steps would be:

1. Use the chemical formula of forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) to determine the molar ratio of Mg₂SiO₄ to oxygen atoms, which is 1:4.
2. Multiply the number of moles of forsterite by Avogadro's number (6.022 x 10²³) to find the number of formula units in the sample.
3. Multiply the number of formula units by 4 (the number of oxygen atoms per formula unit) to find the total number of oxygen atoms in the sample.

Each of these steps must be carried out with careful attention to significant figures, based on the precision of the given data. The result should also be rounded to the appropriate number of significant figures, typically three as suggested by the examples provided.