Which must be the same when comparing 1 mol of oxygen gas, O2, with 1 mol of carbon monoxide gas, CO?
the volume
mass
To determine what must be the same when comparing 1 mol of oxygen gas, O2, with 1 mol of carbon monoxide gas, CO, we need to consider the properties that are directly related to the number of moles.
One property that must be the same when comparing equal numbers of moles of different substances is the molar mass. The molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance and is expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is calculated by summing the atomic masses of each atom in the chemical formula.
The molar mass of oxygen gas, O2, can be calculated as follows:
- The atomic mass of oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol.
- Since oxygen gas consists of two oxygen atoms, the molar mass of O2 is 2 * 16.00 = 32.00 g/mol.
Similarly, the molar mass of carbon monoxide gas, CO, can be calculated as follows:
- The atomic mass of carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 g/mol.
- The atomic mass of oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol.
- The molar mass of CO is 12.01 + 16.00 = 28.01 g/mol.
Therefore, in order for 1 mol of oxygen gas, O2, to be compared with 1 mol of carbon monoxide gas, CO, the molar mass must be the same for both substances. However, in this case, the molar masses are different (32.00 g/mol for O2 and 28.01 g/mol for CO), so they are not the same.