Mercury poisoning is a debilitating disease that is often fatal. In the human body, mercury reacts with essential enzymes, leading to irreversible inactivity of these enzymes. If the amount of mercury in a polluted lake is 215 ng of mercury / mL, what is the total mass in kilograms of mercury in the lake?

What is the total mL of the lake?

215 ng/mL x ?mL = ? ng Hg which is ? x 10^-12 kg

To calculate the total mass of mercury in the lake, we need to convert the given value from nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) to kilograms (kg). Here's how you can do it:

1. Start with the given value of mercury concentration in the lake: 215 ng/mL.

2. Since 1 kg is equal to 1,000,000 ng, we'll convert the ng to kg. Divide the value by 1,000,000 to convert it to kilograms:

215 ng/mL ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.000215 kg/mL.

3. Now, to find the mass of mercury in the lake, we need to know the volume of the lake in milliliters (mL). Once we have that, we can multiply the volume by the concentration to get the mass.

Let's assume the volume of the lake is V mL (you'll need to provide this value).

4. Multiply the concentration (0.000215 kg/mL) by the volume (V mL) to find the total mass of mercury in the lake:

Total mass of mercury = Concentration × Volume

Total mass of mercury = 0.000215 kg/mL × V mL

The resulting value will be the total mass of mercury in kilograms in the lake.

Remember to provide the volume of the lake (in mL) in order to get the specific answer.