Find mass from mole frac and solution mass

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In summary, mole fraction, also known as molar fraction, is a unitless quantity that indicates the proportion of one component in a mixture of substances. It is calculated by dividing the moles of one component by the total moles in the mixture. To find the mass of a specific component in a solution, the formula mass = mole fraction x solution mass can be used. However, mole fraction and solution mass cannot be used to find the mass of a single element in a compound; for this, the molar mass of the compound and the number of moles of the element present are needed. Mole fraction and mass fraction are two different ways of expressing the proportion of a component in a mixture, and to convert between them, the
  • #1
jesuslovesu
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1. 75g sample of a gaseous mixture contains .51 mole fraction propane. The remainder is butane. What are the masses of propane and butane?



2. X = mol A / mol total



The Attempt at a Solution


P = mol propane
B = mol butane
I tried doing .49P + .49B = X mol propane and .51P + .51B = Y mol butane however that doesn't seem to be solvable. I'm not quite sure how I should manipulate the 75 g of solution.
 
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  • #2
0.49B + 0.51P = n

second equation must contain masses of both gases - what is a mass of 0.49B?
 
  • #3


First, let's define our variables:
P = mass of propane (in grams)
B = mass of butane (in grams)
X = mole fraction of propane (in decimal form)
Y = mole fraction of butane (in decimal form)

To find the masses of propane and butane, we need to use the equation:

mass = mole fraction * solution mass

We know that the solution mass is 75 g, so we can set up two equations using this equation:

P = X * 75 g
B = Y * 75 g

Now, we also know that the mole fractions must add up to 1, so we can set up another equation:

X + Y = 1

We can solve this system of equations by substituting the value of Y from the third equation into the first two equations:

P = X * 75 g
B = (1 - X) * 75 g

We can then solve for P and B by plugging in the given value of X (0.51):

P = 0.51 * 75 g = 38.25 g
B = (1 - 0.51) * 75 g = 36.75 g

Therefore, the masses of propane and butane in the 75 g sample are 38.25 g and 36.75 g, respectively.
 

FAQ: Find mass from mole frac and solution mass

1. What is mole fraction?

Mole fraction, also known as molar fraction, is a unitless quantity that indicates the proportion of one component in a mixture of substances. It is calculated by dividing the moles of one component by the total moles in the mixture.

2. How is mass calculated from mole fraction and solution mass?

To find the mass of a specific component in a solution, you can use the formula: mass = mole fraction x solution mass. This formula takes into account the proportion of the component in the solution and the total mass of the solution.

3. Can mole fraction and solution mass be used to find the mass of a single element in a compound?

No, mole fraction and solution mass are used to find the mass of a specific component in a mixture of substances. To find the mass of a single element in a compound, you would need to know the molar mass of the compound and the number of moles of the element present.

4. How do you convert between mole fraction and mass fraction?

Mole fraction and mass fraction are two different ways of expressing the proportion of a component in a mixture. To convert between them, you would need to know the molar mass of the component and the density of the solution. The formula for converting from mole fraction to mass fraction is: mass fraction = mole fraction x molar mass / density.

5. Can mole fraction be greater than 1?

No, mole fraction is a unitless quantity and cannot exceed a value of 1. It represents the proportion of a component in a mixture, so a value greater than 1 would not make sense.

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