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Why does the molecular mass of CO₂ range?

User Soooooot
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Final answer:

The molecular mass of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a specific value of 44.01 amu, determined by the sum of the atomic masses of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. It does not range or vary.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecular mass of carbon dioxide (CO₂) does not actually 'range' in the traditional sense; it has a specific value. The molecular mass of a compound is the sum of the atomic masses of all the atoms in a single molecule of that compound. For CO₂, the molecular mass is calculated by adding the atomic mass of carbon (12.01 amu) to the atomic mass of two oxygen atoms (2 x 16.00 amu), which equals 44.01 amu. This value represents the mass of one molecule of carbon dioxide.

In reference to the statements provided, the 1 eV per bond between the carbon and oxygen in CO₂ is related to the energy of the chemical bonds and not the molecular mass. Dispersion forces and boiling points, as mentioned for CS₂ in comparison to CO₂, correlate to the molecular mass as they have an impact on intermolecular interactions; however, these properties do not mean that the molecular mass of CO₂ itself varies.

User Gpopoteur
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