Final answer:
To calculate the molar mass of C₃H₈O, the atomic masses of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen are multiplied by the number of atoms of each in the molecule, then summed, yielding a molar mass of 60.11 g/mol.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the molar mass of a compound such as C₃H₈O, you will need the atomic masses of its constituent elements: Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), and Oxygen (O). For each element in the compound, multiply the atomic mass by the number of atoms of that element in the molecule. Then, add up all the individual masses to get the total molar mass of the compound. Specifically, the molar mass of C₃H₈O is calculated as follows:
- C (Carbon): 12.01 g/mol × 3 = 36.03 g/mol
- H (Hydrogen): 1.01 g/mol × 8 = 8.08 g/mol
- O (Oxygen): 16.00 g/mol × 1 = 16.00 g/mol
Add these together to get the molar mass of C₃H₈O, which is 60.11 g/mol.
Once the molar mass is known, to find the mass of a substance in grams, multiply the number of moles by the molar mass. For percent composition calculations, you would also use the molar mass. Similarly, to derive the molecular formula from the empirical formula, you might multiply the empirical formula's subscripts by a whole number that turns the mass of the empirical formula into the molecular mass of the substance.