Final answer:
To find the positive charge in 3 moles of argon, multiply the number of moles (3) by Avogadro's number (6.022×10²³ atoms/mol), then by the number of protons per argon atom (18), and finally by the elementary charge (1.60×10⁻¹⁹ C). The result is approximately 5.203×10⁶ coulombs of positive charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks how much positive charge is contained in 3 moles of argon. To answer this, we need to understand that argon is a noble gas with an atomic number of 18, which means each atom has 18 protons. The charge of each proton is the elementary charge e, which is approximately 1.60×10⁻¹⁹ C. Knowing that one mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number of particles, which is 6.022×10²³ particles/mol, we can calculate the total charge.
To find the total positive charge in 3 moles of argon, we multiply the number of moles by Avogadro's number (NA) to get the total number of argon atoms, and then multiply that by the number of protons per argon atom, and finally by the charge of each proton:
-
- Total number of argon atoms = 3 moles × 6.022×10²³ atoms/mol
-
- Total number of protons = Total number of argon atoms × 18 protons/atom
-
- Total positive charge = Total number of protons × 1.60×10⁻¹⁹ C/proton
To carry out the calculation:
-
- 3 moles × 6.022×10²³ atoms/mol = 1.8066×10²⁴ atoms of argon
-
- 1.8066×10²⁴ atoms × 18 protons/atom = 3.25188×10²⁵ protons
-
- 3.25188×10²⁵ protons × 1.60×10⁻¹⁹ C/proton = 5.203×10⁶ C
Thus, 3 moles of argon contain a total positive charge of approximately 5.203×10⁶ coulombs. It is important to mention the correct option and understand that each atom of argon contributes exactly 18 protons worth of positive charge since argon is a monoatomic gas.