Final answer:
The total moles of atoms in a sample of propane containing 13.8 moles of carbon atoms is 50.6 moles, considering the molecular formula C3H8 and the proportion of hydrogen to carbon atoms in the molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to calculate the total number of moles of atoms in a sample of propane, C3H8, given that it contains 13.8 moles of carbon atoms. Considering that propane has three carbon atoms (C) and eight hydrogen atoms (H) per molecule, we calculate the moles of hydrogen in the sample by realizing that there must be (13.8 moles of C / 3) times 8 moles of H, since there are 8 hydrogen atoms for every 3 carbon atoms in propane. Therefore, the total moles of hydrogen is 13.8 x (8/3) moles. To find the total number of moles of atoms in the sample, we add the moles of hydrogen to the moles of carbon. Thus, the total moles of atoms is 13.8 moles of carbon plus 36.8 moles of hydrogen, equating to 50.6 moles.