The percent composition of sodium chloride (NaCl) can be calculated by determining the mass of each element in the compound and then dividing by the total mass of the compound.
Sodium chloride is composed of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl). The molar masses of these elements are approximately:
- Sodium (Na): 22.99 g/mol
- Chlorine (Cl): 35.45 g/mol
To find the molar mass of sodium chloride, you add the masses of sodium and chlorine:
Molar mass of NaCl = 22.99 g/mol + 35.45 g/mol = 58.44 g/mol
Next, to find the percent composition, use the formula:
Percent composition = (mass of element / molar mass of compound) × 100%
Now, calculate the percent composition for each element:
- Percent composition of sodium:
- =(22.99 g/mol / 58.44 g/mol) × 100% ≈ 39.32%
- Percent composition of chlorine:
- =(35.45 g/mol / 58.44 g/mol) × 100% ≈ 60.68%
In summary, the percent composition of sodium chloride is approximately 39.32% sodium and 60.68% chlorine. This shows the relative amounts of each element within the compound.