Benzene is a carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compound. A benzene-contaminated water sample contains 5.5×10−5 %
benzene by mass. What volume of the water in liters contains 235 mg
of benzene? (Assume that the density of the solution is 1.0 g/mL
.
First, we need to calculate the mass of benzene in the water sample:
5.5x10^-5 % of benzene by mass means 5.5x10^-5 g of benzene for every 100 g of water. Therefore, in 1 g of water, there is 5.5x10^-7 g of benzene.
Since the density of the solution is 1.0 g/mL, we can calculate the volume of water required to contain 235 mg of benzene:
Volume of water = Mass of benzene / Density of solution
Volume of water = 235 mg / 1 g/mL
Volume of water = 235 mL
Therefore, 235 mg of benzene is contained in 235 mL of water, which is equivalent to 0.235 liters of water.