Question

A certain carbon monoxide molecule consists of a carbon atom of mass mc = 13 u and an oxygen atom of mass mo = 18 u that are separated by a distance of d = 126 pm, where "u" is an atomic unit of mass.

Part (a) write a symbolic equation for the location of the center of mass of the carbon monoxide molecule relative to the position of the oxygen atom. This expression should be in terms of the masses of the atoms and the distance between them.

Answer 1

The location of the center of mass of a carbon monoxide molecule relative to the position of the oxygen atom can be calculated using the masses of the atoms and the distance between them. The equation for the location of the center of mass is (Mass of carbon * Position of carbon + Mass of oxygen * Position of oxygen) / Total mass of the molecule. Using the given values, the final equation is 73.16 pm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The location of the center of mass of a carbon monoxide molecule relative to the position of the oxygen atom can be calculated using the masses of the atoms and the distance between them. The center of mass is a point where the total mass of the system can be considered concentrated. In this case, we can assume that the carbon atom and the oxygen atom are point masses located at their respective positions.

The equation for the location of the center of mass is:

Center of mass = (Mass of carbon * Position of carbon + Mass of oxygen * Position of oxygen) / Total mass of the molecule

Plugging in the given values, we have:

Center of mass = (13 u * 0 + 18 u * 126 pm) / (13 u + 18 u)

Simplifying the equation gives us:

Center of mass = 2268 u * pm / 31 u

Therefore, the final equation for the location of the center of mass is:

Center of mass = 73.16 pm