Question

A certain carbon monoxide molecule consists of a carbon atom of

mass mc = 12 u and an oxygen atom of mass mo = 16 u that are
separated by a distance of d = 108 pm, where "u" is an atomic unit
of mass.

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 center of mass of a carbon monoxide molecule relative to the oxygen atom can be found using the equation that takes into account the masses of the carbon and oxygen atoms and the distance between them.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the center of mass of a carbon monoxide molecule relative to the position of the oxygen atom, we use the formula for the center of mass for a system of two particles. The formula reflects the masses of the particles and the distances between them:

Center of mass (r_cm) = [(m_c × 0) + (m_o × d)] / (m_c + m_o)

Where m_c is the mass of carbon, m_o is the mass of oxygen, and d is the distance between the atoms.

Substituting the given values of m_c = 12 u, m_o = 16 u, and d = 108 pm, we can solve the equation to find the position of the center of mass in relation to the oxygen atom.