13) Mercury is an environmental pollutant because it can be converted by certain bacteria into the very poisonous substance dimethyl mercury, (CH3)2Hg. This compound ends up in the food chain and accumulates in the tissues of aquatic organisms, particularly fish, which renders them unsafe to eat. It is estimated that in the United States, 261 tons of mercury are released into the atmosphere each year. If only 1.4 percent of this mercury is eventually changed to (CH3)2Hg, how many pounds of this compound are formed annually?

1 ton = 2000 lbs.

261 tons x (2000 lbs/1 ton) x 0.014 x (molar mass (CH3)2Hg/atomic mass Hg) =

8403.96

that should be 261 tons x 2000 lb x 0.014 x (Ar Hg/Mr (CH3)2Hg)

To find the number of pounds of dimethyl mercury ((CH3)2Hg) formed annually, we need to follow a few steps:

Step 1: Convert tons to pounds
Since the given mercury release is in tons, we need to convert it to pounds. There are 2000 pounds in a ton, so we multiply the given tonnage by 2000:

261 tons * 2000 pounds/ton = 522,000 pounds

Step 2: Calculate the amount of dimethyl mercury formed
Given that only 1.4% of the released mercury is eventually converted to dimethyl mercury, we can multiply the total amount of mercury by the conversion factor:

522,000 pounds * 0.014 = 7,308 pounds

Therefore, approximately 7,308 pounds of dimethyl mercury are formed annually.