Question

A sample of cinnabar, an ore containing mercury, weighs 681 grams. After smelting, it yields 587 grams of pure mercury. What is the percent composition of mercury in the ore?

Answer 1

The percent composition of mercury is 86%.

Step-by-step explanation:

Plato

Answer 2

86.2% of Hg in the ore

Step-by-step explanation:

Percent composition is defined as one hundred times the ratio between mass of an element in a compound and total mass of the compound. Formula is:

`% composition = (Mass element)/(Total mass) *100`% composition =
`(Mass Element)/(Total Mass) *100`

If an ore weights 681g and contains 587g of mercury, percent composition is:

(587g Hg / 681g) × 100 = 86.2% of Hg in the ore