Question

How much aluminum can be extracted from 2 tons of aluminum oxide? (1,814,000 g or 1.814 x 106 g)?

Answer 1

1,058,823g of aluminum can be extract from 2 tons of aluminum oxide.

1st) It is necessary to convert tons into grams:

`2\text{ ton}\cdot\frac{1000kg}{1\text{ton}}\cdot(1000g)/(1kg)=2,000,000g`

2nd) Now we have to calculate the mass of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) from the atomic mass of aluminum and oxygen:

- Al atomic mass: 27g/mol

- O atomic mass: 16g/mol

Al2O3 molecular mass= (Al atomic mass x 2) + (O atomic mass x 3)

Al2O3 molecular mass= (27g/mol x 2) + (16g/mol x 3)

Al2O3 molecular mass= 54g/mol + 48g/mol

Al2O3 molecular mass= 102g/mol

3rd) Now we know that from 102g of Al2O3 we can extract 54g of aluminum, so to calculate the amount of aluminum that can be extract from 2 tons of aluminum oxide we can use a mathematical Rule of Three:

`\begin{gathered} 102\text{gAl}2O3-54g\text{Al} \\ 2,000,000\text{gAl}2O3-x=\frac{2,000,000\text{g}\cdot54g}{102\text{g}} \\ x=1,058,823g\text{ } \end{gathered}`

So, 1,058,823g (or 1.058x10^6g) of aluminum can be extract from 2 tons of aluminum oxide.