Final answer:
The calculation based on the given data indicates that the solution contains no ethanol because the mass of the solution equals the mass of the assumed volume of water, leaving no mass for ethanol. None of the options provided corresponds to this analysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the percentage of ethanol by mass in the solution, we must first determine the mass of ethanol present compared to the total mass of the solution. Let's assume that the given volume of the solution (55.0 cm³) does not change when it contains ethanol and water mixed together. If the density of water is assumed to be 1.00 g/mL (which is also equivalent to 1.00 g/cm³), the entire volume of water would then have a mass of 55.0 g since the volume and mass are numerically equivalent given this density.
However, the total mass of the solution is also given to be 55.0 g. This implies that the solution is made entirely of water with no ethanol since the mass of the solution equals the mass of the water alone. No extra mass is present in the solution that could be from ethanol. Therefore, the percentage of ethanol by mass in this solution would be 0%, as the given data suggests no additional mass from ethanol is present.
Based on this analysis, we can conclude none of the options (a, b, c, d) represent the composition of the solution correctly, as they all suggest a certain amount of ethanol which is inconsistent with the given mass indicating there is no ethanol present in the solution.