Final answer:
To find the volume of 148g of methane at STP, calculate the moles of methane and then use the molar volume of 22.4 L/mol. The resulting volume is approximately 206.7 liters.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the volume of 148g of methane at STP (standard temperature and pressure), we first need to know the molar mass of methane. The molar mass of CH₄ (methane) is 12.01 g/mol (carbon) + 4(1.008 g/mol) (hydrogen) = 16.04 g/mol. Next, we find the number of moles of methane in 148g by dividing the mass by the molar mass, which gives us ≈ 9.23 moles (148g ÷ 16.04 g/mol).
Knowing that a mole of any gas at STP occupies 22.4 liters, we multiply the number of moles of methane by the molar volume of 22.4 L/mol to get the volume. So the volume occupied by 148g of methane at STP is 9.23 moles x 22.4 L/mol ≈ 206.7 liters, rounded to three significant figures.