Final answer:
To determine the percentage of aluminum in the sample, we can use stoichiometry. By calculating the number of moles of hydrogen gas produced and the number of moles of aluminum, we can find the percentage of aluminum in the sample, which is approximately 35.0%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the percentage of aluminum in the sample, we need to use stoichiometry. Let's start by finding the number of moles of hydrogen gas produced. We can use the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, where P is the pressure (in atm), V is the volume (in L), n is the number of moles, R is the gas constant (0.0821 L·atm/mol·K), and T is the temperature (in Kelvin). From the given data, we have the volume of water displaced (152.8 mL = 0.1528 L), the vapor pressure of water (18.7 mmHg = 0.0247 atm), the barometric pressure (759 mmHg = 1 atm), and the temperature (21°C = 294 K).
First, we need to calculate the pressure of hydrogen gas:
Total pressure = barometric pressure + vapor pressure of water = 1 atm + 0.0247 atm = 1.0247 atm
Next, we can rearrange the ideal gas law to solve for the number of moles of hydrogen gas:
n = (PV) / (RT)
n = (1.0247 atm * 0.1528 L) / (0.0821 L·atm/mol·K * 294 K)
n = 0.00579 mol
Since the stoichiometry of the reaction is 3 moles of hydrogen gas per mole of aluminum, we can calculate the number of moles of aluminum:
n(Al) = (1/3) * n(H2)
n(Al) = (1/3) * 0.00579 mol
n(Al) = 0.00193 mol
Finally, we can calculate the percentage of aluminum in the sample:
Percentage of aluminum = (mass of aluminum / total mass of sample) * 100%
Since we have the mass of the alloy sample (0.125 g) and the molar mass of aluminum (26.98 g/mol), we can use the equation:
Percentage of aluminum = (0.00193 mol * 26.98 g/mol / 0.125 g) * 100%
Percentage of aluminum ≈ 35.0%