An instrument used to detect metals in drinking water can detect as little as 1 µg of mercury in 1 L of water. Mercury is a toxic metal; it accumulates in the body and is responsible for the deterioration of brain cells. Calculate the number of mercury atoms you would consume if you drank 1 L of water that contained 1 µg of mercury. (The mass of one mercury atom is 3.3 x 10^-22 g.)
How many mols is in 1 ug Hg metal?
mols = g/atomic mass = 1E-6 g/200.61 g/mol = ? = about 3.6E-7
Then 1 mol contains 6.022E23 atoms so 3,6E-7 moles will contain ........atoms.
To calculate the number of mercury atoms in 1 L of water that contains 1 µg of mercury, we need to convert the mass of mercury to moles using its molar mass, and then use Avogadro's number to determine the number of atoms.
First, let's convert the mass of mercury to grams:
1 µg (micrograms) = 1 x 10^(-6) g (grams)
Next, we need to convert grams of mercury to moles. The molar mass of mercury is given as 3.3 x 10^(-22) g/atom:
Number of moles = (mass of mercury in grams) / (molar mass of mercury)
Number of moles = (1 x 10^(-6) g) / (3.3 x 10^(-22) g/atom) = (1 x 10^(-6) g) * (1 atom / 3.3 x 10^(-22) g)
Number of moles ≈ 3.03 x 10^(15) atoms
Therefore, if you drank 1 L of water containing 1 µg of mercury, you would consume approximately 3.03 x 10^(15) mercury atoms.