Nitrocellulose lacquer is used as a protective coating on wood. What mass of nitrocellulose is contained in one gallon (3.8L) of lacquer that is 5.1% nitrocellulose by mass? The density of the lacquer is 0.79 g/mL.

To find the mass of nitrocellulose in one gallon of lacquer, we need to calculate the mass of the lacquer and then determine the mass of nitrocellulose within it.

First, we convert the volume of one gallon to milliliters:
1 gallon = 3.8 L = 3800 mL

Next, we calculate the mass of the lacquer using its density:
Mass of lacquer = Volume × Density = 3800 mL × 0.79 g/mL

Now, we need to determine the mass of nitrocellulose in the lacquer. We know that the lacquer is 5.1% nitrocellulose by mass, which means that 100% - 5.1% = 94.9% of the mass is not nitrocellulose.

Mass of nitrocellulose = Mass of lacquer × (5.1% / 100%)
= (3800 mL × 0.79 g/mL) × (5.1% / 100%)

Now we can calculate the final result:

Mass of nitrocellulose = 3800 mL × 0.79 g/mL × (5.1% / 100%)