A geologist discovered a new rock which he suspected contained an oxide of an element called mysterium. He gave thr ock to a chemist who ground it up and heated a sample with carbon at a high temperature. No metal was produced in this experiment.

1.Why did the chemist grind up the sample before experimenting on it ?
2.What can you deduce from the fact that no mysterium was produced in this experiment?
3.Describe how the chemist might produce a sample of hysterium from the rock.
4. Explain why you think that your method may work
5. Explain where you think mysterium is placed in the reactivity series of the metals.

What is the mass, in grams, of 1.70×1021 molecules of aspirin,C_9H_8O_4?

37

1. The chemist ground up the sample before experimenting on it to increase the surface area of the rock. By grinding it into smaller particles, the chemist can expose more of the rock's surface area, which allows for better contact and interaction with the carbon during the high-temperature experiment.

2. The fact that no mysterium was produced in this experiment suggests that mysterium might not be present in the rock as an oxide. If mysterium were present as an oxide, it would react with carbon at high temperatures to produce the corresponding metal. Since no metal was formed, it indicates that the rock does not contain mysterium in the form of an oxide.

3. To produce a sample of hysterium from the rock, the chemist would need to investigate whether mysterium is present in any other compound form. One possible method could be to perform further experiments using different chemical reactions. For example, the chemist could try reacting the rock sample with other specific reagents to test for the presence of mysterium in different compounds. If such a reaction successfully produces mysterium in another compound, further steps can be taken to isolate and purify it.

4. The suggested method might work because it allows for the exploration of other compound forms of mysterium. By testing the rock sample with various reagents and observing the chemical reactions, the chemist could potentially identify the compound(s) in which mysterium is present. This would provide valuable information and guide the chemist towards developing a more specific and effective method for obtaining a sample of hysterium.

5. Based on the information provided, it is not possible to determine the position of mysterium in the reactivity series of metals. The experiment described only explores the production of a metal from the oxide form, and since no metal was produced, it implies that mysterium might not be in the oxide form. The reactivity series of metals typically relates to their ability to react with water or acids, and further experiments would be needed to identify where mysterium would be placed in such a series.