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Multiple Choice
A mixture of CaCO₃ and CaO has a mass of 2.5000 g. After heating, the mass of the sample is reduced to 2.016 g due to the decomposition of CaCO₃ into CaO and CO₂. What is the mass percent of CaCO₃ in the original mixture?
A
64.0%
B
48.2%
C
38.4%
D
72.5%
Verified step by step guidance
1
Start by understanding the chemical reaction involved: Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) decomposes into calcium oxide (CaO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) when heated. The reaction can be represented as: .
Calculate the mass of CO₂ released during the decomposition. This is the difference between the initial mass of the mixture and the final mass after heating: .
Use the molar masses to find the mass of CaCO₃ that decomposed. The molar mass of CaCO₃ is approximately 100.09 g/mol, and the molar mass of CO₂ is approximately 44.01 g/mol. Set up a proportion based on the stoichiometry of the reaction: .
Solve the proportion to find the mass of CaCO₃ that was originally present in the mixture.
Calculate the mass percent of CaCO₃ in the original mixture using the formula: . This will give you the mass percent of CaCO₃ in the original mixture.