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Ethyl mercaptan is an odorous substance added to natural gas to make leaks easily detectable. A sample of ethyl mercaptan weighing \(3.17 \mathrm{mg}\) contains \(1.64 \mathrm{mg}\) of sulfur. What is the mass percentage of sulfur in the substance?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The mass percentage of sulfur in ethyl mercaptan is approximately 51.74%.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Problem

We need to find the mass percentage of sulfur in ethyl mercaptan. We know that we have 3.17 mg of ethyl mercaptan and 1.64 mg of that is sulfur.
02

Use the Mass Percentage Formula

The mass percentage formula is given by: \[ \text{Mass \, Percentage} = \left( \frac{\text{Mass of Element}}{\text{Total Mass of Compound}} \right) \times 100 \] In this context, the element is sulfur and the compound is ethyl mercaptan.
03

Plug Numbers into the Formula

Substitute the given values into the formula: \[ \text{Mass \, Percentage of Sulfur} = \left( \frac{1.64 \, \text{mg}}{3.17 \, \text{mg}} \right) \times 100 \]
04

Calculate the Mass Percentage

Calculate the ratio and multiply by 100 to get the percentage: \[ \text{Mass \, Percentage of Sulfur} = \left( \frac{1.64}{3.17} \right) \times 100 \approx 51.74\% \]

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Sulfur Analysis
Sulfur analysis is a common technique used in chemistry to determine the amount of sulfur present in a compound. In the case of ethyl mercaptan, understanding the sulfur content is vital since sulfur is the component giving it its distinctive smell. To perform sulfur analysis, you'll begin by determining the mass of sulfur within the sample. Next, you use the known total mass of the compound for comparison. By measuring the mass of sulfur in relation to the total mass of ethyl mercaptan, you can find the proportion of sulfur. This helps in calculating the mass percentage of sulfur in the compound.
Here’s a quick recap of how it’s done:
  • Identify the mass of sulfur in the sample, which in our exercise is 1.64 mg.
  • Determine the total mass of the compound, ethyl mercaptan, which is 3.17 mg.
  • Apply these values in the mass percentage formula to find the percentage of sulfur.
This analysis is crucial for industrial applications and safety, as it ensures the right amount of sulfur for odor detection.
Chemical Composition
Chemical composition refers to the identity and ratio of elements present in a compound. In ethyl mercaptan, knowing the chemical composition is critical for understanding its properties and uses, such as its function as an odorant in natural gas. A compound's chemical composition includes the elements themselves and their respective amounts expressed in ratios or percentages.
To calculate the mass percentage of a particular element like sulfur:
  • Identify the amount of the element (sulfur) present in the compound.
  • Use the mass percentage formula: \(\text{Mass \ Percentage} = \left( \frac{\text{Mass of Element}}{\text{Total Mass of Compound}} \right) \times 100 \).
This tells us how much of the compound's mass is due to sulfur. Understanding the chemical composition helps engineers and chemists to determine how the compound will behave chemically and physically, ensuring it is suitable for its intended purpose.
Ethyl Mercaptan Properties
Ethyl mercaptan is characterized by some notable properties that make it crucial for natural gas safety. These properties are largely due to its chemical composition, which includes carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur. Its strong and distinctive odor is what makes ethyl mercaptan so valuable. This characteristic allows it to be a reliable odorant in natural gas, alerting individuals to gas leaks due to its smell, even in very small concentrations.
Some properties of ethyl mercaptan include:
  • Boiling Point: It has a low boiling point, meaning it is easily vaporized.
  • Volatility: Being volatile, ethyl mercaptan can disperse quickly in air, spreading its odor efficiently.
  • Sulfur Content: As we've seen from the sulfur analysis, sulfur is a significant component, responsible for both its odor and chemical behavior.
These properties are tied back to its molecular structure, which governs its interactions and usability in various applications.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Calculate the percentage composition for each of the following compounds (three significant figures). a. \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\) b. \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{2}\) c. \(\mathrm{KClO}_{4}\) d. \(\mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\right)_{2}\)

Ethylene, \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{4}\), burns in oxygen to give carbon dioxide, \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\), and water. Write the equation for the reaction, giving molecular, molar, and mass interpretations below the equation.

An alloy of iron \((71.0 \%)\), cobalt \((12.0 \%)\), and molybdenum \((17.0 \%)\) has a density of \(8.20 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}\). How many cobalt atoms are there in a cylinder with a radius of \(2.50 \mathrm{~cm}\) and a length of \(10.0 \mathrm{~cm}\) ?

Part 1 a. How many hydrogen and oxygen atoms are present in 1 molecule of \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O} ?\) b. How many moles of hydrogen and oxygen atoms are present in \(1 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) ? c. What are the masses of hydrogen and oxygen in \(1.0 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) ? d. What is the mass of \(1.0 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) ? Part 2: Two hypothetical ionic compounds are discovered with the chemical formulas \(\mathrm{XCl}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{YCl}_{2}\), where \(\mathrm{X}\) and \(\mathrm{Y}\) represent symbols of the imaginary elements. Chemical analysis of the two compounds reveals that \(0.25 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{XCl}_{2}\) has a mass of \(100.0 \mathrm{~g}\) and \(0.50 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{YCl}_{2}\) has a mass of \(125.0 \mathrm{~g}\). a. What are the molar masses of \(\mathrm{XCl}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{YCl}_{2}\) ? b. If you had \(1.0\) -mol samples of \(\mathrm{XCl}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{YCl}_{2}\), how would the number of chloride ions compare? C. If you had \(1.0\) -mol samples of \(\mathrm{XCl}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{YCl}_{2}\), how would the masses of elements \(\mathrm{X}\) and \(\mathrm{Y}\) compare? d. What is the mass of chloride ions present in \(1.0 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{XCl}_{2}\) and \(1.0 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{YCl}_{2} ?\) e. What are the molar masses of elements \(\mathrm{X}\) and \(\mathrm{Y}\) ? f. How many moles of \(\mathrm{X}\) ions and chloride ions would be present in a \(200.0-\mathrm{g}\) sample of \(\mathrm{XCl}_{2}\) ? g. How many grams of \(Y\) ions would be present in a \(250.0-\mathrm{g}\) sample of \(\mathrm{YCl}_{2} ?\) h. What would be the molar mass of the compound \(\mathrm{YBr}_{3}\) ? Part 3: A minute sample of \(\mathrm{AlCl}_{3}\) is analyzed for chlorine. The analysis reveals that there are 12 chloride ions present in the sample. How many aluminum ions must be present in the sample? a. What is the total mass of \(\mathrm{AlCl}_{3}\) in this sample? b. How many moles of \(\mathrm{AlCl}_{3}\) are in this sample?

Zinc metal can be obtained from zinc oxide, \(\mathrm{ZnO}\), by reaction at high temperature with carbon monoxide, \(\mathrm{CO}\). $$ \mathrm{ZnO}(s)+\mathrm{CO}(g) \longrightarrow \mathrm{Zn}(s)+\mathrm{CO}_{2}(g) $$ The carbon monoxide is obtained from carbon. $$ 2 \mathrm{C}(s)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{CO}(g) $$ What is the maximum amount of zinc that can be obtained from \(75.0 \mathrm{~g}\) of zinc oxide and \(50.0 \mathrm{~g}\) of carbon?

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