Final answer:
To make a 0.5 M solution of NaCl, you would weigh out 29.3 g of NaCl and dissolve it in exactly 1 L of water.
Step-by-step explanation:
To make a 0.5 M solution of NaCl, you would weigh out 29.3 g of NaCl and dissolve it in exactly 1 L of water. Option a) is the correct answer. This is because a 0.5 M solution means there is 0.5 moles of NaCl dissolved in 1 liter of water. To determine the mass of NaCl needed, we use the formula:
Mass (g) = Molarity (mol/L) * Volume (L) * Molar Mass (g/mol)
In this case, the molarity is 0.5 M, the volume is 1 L, and the molar mass of NaCl is 58.44 g/mol. Plugging in these values, we get:
Mass (g) = 0.5 mol/L * 1 L * 58.44 g/mol = 29.22 g ≈ 29.3 g