Question

Percent composition =?

a) Percent composition is the ratio of the mass of each element to the total mass of the compound, multiplied by 100.
b) Percent composition is the ratio of the volume of each element to the total volume of the compound, multiplied by 100.
c) Percent composition is the ratio of the number of atoms of each element to the total number of atoms in the compound, multiplied by 100.
d) Percent composition is unrelated to the components of a compound.

Answer 1

Percent composition is the ratio of the mass of each element to the total mass of a compound, expressed as a percentage. It is fundamental in chemistry to determine the composition and purity of a compound and is calculated using mass data.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the student's question on what percent composition represents is: a) Percent composition is the ratio of the mass of each element to the total mass of the compound, multiplied by 100. Percent composition is a crucial concept in chemistry that allows chemists to understand the makeup of a compound in terms of the mass of its constituent elements. It is calculated by taking the mass of a specific element and dividing it by the mass of the compound, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. This formula is often used in determining the percent composition from a chemical formula, where you calculate the mass of each element in one mole of the compound and divide it by the compound's molar mass, again multiplying by 100 to get the percent by mass. This is an essential step in analyzing and understanding compounds.