Final answer:
To find the maximum number of fat molecules that could result from mixing 195 mL of a 0.38 M carboxylic acid with glycerol, calculate the moles of carboxylic acid, divide by three (for the three fatty acid chains needed per glycerol), and then multiply by Avogadro's number, resulting in approximately 1.49 × 1022 molecules of fat.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the maximum number of molecules of fat or oil that could result from mixing 195 mL of a 0.38 M solution of a carboxylic acid with glycerol, we need to consider the chemical reaction in which glycerol combines with fatty acids to form a triglyceride (a type of fat molecule). Glycerol has three hydroxyl (-OH) groups, each of which can react with a fatty acid. Since we have a carboxylic acid solution, we can assume it behaves similarly to fatty acids in this context.
First, we find the moles of carboxylic acid in the solution:
- 195 mL × 0.38 mol/L = 0.0741 moles of carboxylic acid
Since it takes three moles of fatty acids to react with one mole of glycerol to form a triglyceride, and assuming there is an excess of glycerol, the maximum number of fat molecules that can be formed is equal to the number of moles of carboxylic acid divided by three:
- 0.0741 moles ÷ 3 = 0.0247 moles of triglycerides (fat molecules)
To find the number of molecules, we multiply by Avogadro's number (6.022 × 1023 molecules/mole):
- 0.0247 moles × 6.022 × 1023 molecules/mole = 1.49 × 1022 molecules
Therefore, the maximum number of fat or oil molecules that could result is approximately 1.49 × 1022 molecules.