The ethyl acetate solution containing the mixture used in this experiment had a concentration of 20.0 g/L of benzoic acid. The mass of the recovered benzoic acid is 0.18 g. What is the percent recovery of benzoic acid?
To find the percent recovery of benzoic acid, we need to calculate the ratio of the mass of the recovered benzoic acid to the initial mass of benzoic acid in the solution, and then multiply by 100 to convert it to a percentage.
The initial mass of benzoic acid in the solution is given as 20.0 g/L. Since no volume is mentioned, we can assume a volume of 1L for convenience.
Therefore, the initial mass of benzoic acid in the solution is 20.0 g.
The mass of the recovered benzoic acid is given as 0.18 g.
The percent recovery can be calculated as follows:
Percent recovery = (mass of recovered benzoic acid / initial mass of benzoic acid) x 100
= (0.18 g / 20.0 g) x 100
= 0.009 x 100
= 0.9%
So, the percent recovery of benzoic acid is 0.9%.