Question
Question: When stearic acid \[\left( {{C_{18}}{H_{36}}{O_2}} \right)\] is added to water, its molecules collec...
When stearic acid (C18H36O2) is added to water, its molecules collect at the surface and form a monolayer. The cross-sectional area of each stearic acid molecule is 0.21nm2. If 1.4×10−4g of stearic acid is needed to form a monolayer over water in a dish of diameter20cm. (The area of the circle of the radius r is (πr2), then the value of Avogadro’s number is:
A. 3×1023
B. 6×1023
C. 4×1023
D. 1×1023
Solution
To answer this problem first we need to be clear about the basic concepts first, one mole of a substance is equivalent to 6.022×1023 units of that substance, particles or atoms. The number 6.022×1023 is known as Avogadro's number or Avogadro's constant. The Avogadro number is the proportionality factor that relates the number of constituent particles in a sample with the amount of substance in that sample.
Complete step-by-step answer: The area of the dish of 20cm in diameter which is given in the question is given by the formula πr2
Hence the radius is given by
r=220=10cm=0.01m2
By substituting the values, the formula for area is given as,
π×0.01m2
As given in the question 0.21×10−18m2is the area of one molecule
Hence, π×0.01m2is the area of =0.21×10−18π×0.01molecules
Since the molecular weight of stearic acid is 284g/mol.
The number of moles of stearic acid present in 1.4×10−4g of stearic acid is given as,
1.4×10−4gstearic acid =2841.4×10−4mol
=2841.4×10−4Nomolecules
By equating the number of molecules present in 1.4×10−4g of stearic acid and 0.21×10−18π×0.01 molecules we get,