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Ch. 6 Whitehead Lecture Part 2

Jun 18, 2025

Overview

This lecture reviews key concepts from the ends of Chapters 6 and 7, focusing on mass percent composition and its practical applications in chemistry calculations.

Mass Percent Composition

  • Mass percent (mass %) is the mass of a component divided by total mass, multiplied by 100.
  • Formula: mass % = (mass of part / mass of whole) × 100.
  • The sum of mass percent values for all components in a compound equals 100%.
  • Example: For a compound formed from 0.358g Cr and 0.523g total mass, mass % Cr = (0.358 / 0.523) × 100 = 68.5%.

Using Mass Percent as a Conversion Factor

  • Mass percent can be used to convert between mass of a single element and total compound mass.
  • Example: NaCl is 39% Na by mass, so 39g Na per 100g NaCl.
  • Conversion example: To stay under FDA's 2.4g Na/day limit, 2.4g Na × (100g NaCl / 39g Na) = 6.2g NaCl per day.

Calculating Mass Percent from Chemical Formulas

  • Find mass percent by dividing total mass of a specific element (accounting for number of atoms) by total molar mass, then multiply by 100.
  • Example: For C2Cl4F2 (Freon-114), mass % Cl = (4 × 35.453) / (2 × 12.011 + 4 × 35.453 + 2 × 18.998) × 100 = 69.58%.

Mass Percent in Health and Environment

  • Fluoride in water helps prevent tooth decay but excess fluoride causes dental or skeletal fluorosis.
  • Recommended fluoride intake is 1–4mg/day for adults.
  • Example calculation: NaF has one Na and one F; mass % F = (18.998) / (22.990 + 18.998) × 100 = 45.24%.

Applying Mass Percent to Water Fluoridation

  • To fluoridate 1500L water to 1mg F⁻/L:
    • 1500L × (1mg F⁻/1L) = 1500mg F⁻.
    • Convert mg to g: 1500mg × (1g/1000mg) = 1.5g F⁻.
    • Find grams of NaF: 1.5g F⁻ × (100g NaF/45.24g F⁻) ≈ 3.32g NaF.
    • Using provided mass percent (54.76%), 2.74g NaF needed for 1500L water.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Mass Percent (mass %) — The percentage by mass of a component in a compound: (mass of part / mass of whole) × 100.
  • Conversion Factor — A ratio derived from the equality between two different units that can be used to convert from one unit to another.
  • Fluoride — The ion F⁻, added to water to reduce tooth decay.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Practice calculating mass percent with given formulas.
  • Apply mass percent as a conversion factor in sample problems.
  • Review recommended readings from Chapters 6 and 7.