The number of molecules in 16 g of methane is

Options

A. `3.0xx10^(23)`
B. `6.02xx10^(23)`
C. `(16)/(6.02)xx10^(23)`
D. `(16)/(3.0)xx10^(23)`

Explanation

To find the number of molecules in 16 g of methane (CH₄), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Calculate the Molar Mass of Methane
The molar mass of methane (CH₄) can be calculated by adding the atomic masses of its constituent elements:
- Carbon (C) has an atomic mass of approximately 12 g/mol.
- Hydrogen (H) has an atomic mass of approximately 1 g/mol, and there are 4 hydrogen atoms in methane.

So, the molar mass of CH₄ is:
\[ \text{Molar mass of CH₄} = 12 \, \text{g/mol (C)} + (4 \times 1 \, \text{g/mol (H)}) = 12 + 4 = 16 \, \text{g/mol} \]

### Step 2: Calculate the Number of Moles of Methane
Using the formula for calculating the number of moles:
\[ \text{Number of moles} = \frac{\text{Given weight}}{\text{Molar mass}} \]
Substituting the values:
\[ \text{Number of moles} = \frac{16 \, \text{g}}{16 \, \text{g/mol}} = 1 \, \text{mol} \]

### Step 3: Calculate the Number of Molecules
Using Avogadro's number, which states that 1 mole of any substance contains approximately \(6.02 \times 10^{23}\) molecules:
\[ \text{Number of molecules} = \text{Number of moles} \times \text{Avogadro's number} \]
Substituting the values:
\[ \text{Number of molecules} = 1 \, \text{mol} \times 6.02 \times 10^{23} \, \text{molecules/mol} = 6.02 \times 10^{23} \, \text{molecules} \]

### Final Answer
The number of molecules in 16 g of methane is \(6.02 \times 10^{23}\) molecules.

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