Final answer:
To get a molar quantity of aluminum oxide, which requires two moles of aluminum, one would need 53.96 grams of aluminum, since the molar mass of aluminum is 26.98 g/mol.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many grams of aluminum are needed to obtain a molar quantity of aluminum oxide, we must use the molar mass of aluminum. The molar mass of aluminum is given by 1 mol Al = 26.98 g Al. Since aluminum oxide (Al2O3) contains two moles of aluminum per mole of aluminum oxide, we need to have two moles of aluminum to get one mole of aluminum oxide.
To calculate the mass of aluminum needed, we multiply the number of moles required by the molar mass of aluminum:
Mass of Al = 2 moles of Al × 26.98 g/mol
This calculation results in:
Mass of Al = 2 × 26.98 g = 53.96 g
Therefore, Option B (53.96 grams) is the correct amount of aluminum needed to begin with to obtain a molar quantity of aluminum oxide.