Final answer:
The number of atoms in a glass of water can be calculated by using the concept of a mole and Avogadro's number. After calculating the number of molecules in the water, the total number of atoms can be estimated by multiplying the number of molecules by three (since each water molecule contains 3 atoms).
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the number of atoms in a glass of water, we can use the concept of the mole. An average glass of water is about 240 mL, which is approximately equal to 240g. Water has a molar mass of ~18.015g, so we can calculate the number of moles in a glass of water by dividing 240g by 18.015g, which results approximately 13.3 moles.
One mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number (6.022 x 10^23) of particles (atoms, ions, or molecules). Therefore, if we multiply number of moles (13.3) by Avogadro's number, we can estimate the number of molecules of water in the glass.
However, every water molecule (H2O) has 3 atoms (2 hydrogen and 1 oxygen). So if we would like to have the total number of atoms in the glass of water, we will have to multiply it by 3.
Learn more about Atoms in water