Final answer:
The total mass of carbon dioxide produced from 17.1 grams of completely combusted sugar will be greater than 17.1 grams, as it also includes the mass of the oxygen from the air. The exact amount requires a detailed stoichiometric calculation based on the molar masses of glucose and carbon dioxide.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer the question in a combustion analysis of 17.1 grams of sugar, what is the total mass of carbon dioxide produced if the combustion is complete, we need to look at the chemical reaction of sugar (assumed to be glucose, C6H12O6) during combustion. The balanced equation for this reaction would be C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O. Each mole of glucose produces six moles of CO2. To find the mass of CO2 produced from 17.1 grams of glucose, we need to calculate the moles of glucose combusted using its molar mass and then use the stoichiometry of the reaction to find the moles, and subsequently, the mass of CO2 produced.
Without working through the entire calculation (which depends on the molar mass of glucose and the molar mass of CO2), we can't provide the exact total mass of carbon dioxide produced. However, because mass is conserved in chemical reactions, we can infer that it must be greater than 17.1 grams of sugar since we are also incorporating oxygen from the air in the products. Therefore, the actual answer is not provided among the options given (a, b, c, d) and requires a complete calculation for precise determination.