Final answer:
To calculate the mass percentage of oxygen in aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3), divide the mass of oxygen by the total mass of the compound and multiply by 100%. The mass percentage of oxygen in aluminum sulfate is 56.14%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the mass percentage of oxygen in aluminum sulfate, we need to determine the mass of oxygen and the total mass of the compound. The formula for aluminum sulfate is Al2(SO4)3.
We can calculate the mass of oxygen by multiplying the molar mass of oxygen by the number of oxygen atoms in the compound. The molar mass of oxygen is 16.00 g/mol, and there are 12 oxygen atoms in aluminum sulfate (3 in each sulfate ion).
The mass of oxygen in the compound is 16.00 g/mol x 12 = 192.00 g.
The total mass of the compound can be calculated by adding the molar mass of aluminum (26.98 g/mol) and the molar mass of sulfate (96.06 g/mol).
The molar mass of aluminum sulfate is 26.98 g/mol x 2 + 96.06 g/mol x 3 = 342.14 g/mol.
To calculate the mass percentage of oxygen, we divide the mass of oxygen by the total mass of the compound and multiply by 100%:
Mass % of oxygen = (192.00 g / 342.14 g) x 100% = 56.14%