Final answer:
The mass percent of hydrogen in diethyl ether (C₂H₅)2O is approximately 13.59%, which is derived by dividing the total mass of hydrogen in the molecule by the molar mass of diethyl ether and then multiplying by 100. This calculated value does not match any of the options given in the question.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the mass percent of hydrogen in diethyl ether (C₂H₅)2O, we first need to know the molecular formula and the atomic masses of the elements involved. The molecular formula of diethyl ether is C₄H₁₀O, and using the atomic masses (carbon: 12.01 g/mol, hydrogen: 1.008 g/mol, and oxygen: 16.00 g/mol), we can calculate the molar mass of diethyl ether.
The molar mass of diethyl ether is (4 × 12.01) + (10 × 1.008) + (1 × 16.00) = 74.12 g/mol. The total mass of hydrogen in the molecule is 10 × 1.008 = 10.08 g. To find the mass percent of hydrogen, we use the equation:
Mass percent of H = (mass of H / molar mass of compound) × 100
Mass percent of H = (10.08 g / 74.12 g/mol) × 100 ≈ 13.59%
However, this value is not present among the options given in the question. There may be a mistake in the options or the question itself, as no provided option matches the calculated percentage. Thus, we cannot confidently choose any of the provided options (a) 12.08%, (b) 24.16%, (c) 36.24%, or (d) 48.32% without additional information.