Calculate the percent composition by mass of each element in NaClO2.

Answer 1

Hey Kailee,

First, we need to calculate the molar mass of NaClO₂, which is 90.44 g/mol. Then we have to find the mass of each element in the compound.

Na= 23.00g/mol

Cl= 35.45g/mol

O₂= 32.00g/mol

Then we just divide the mass that each element composes of the compound by the molar mass of the entire compound (90.44 g/mol) to find how much each element composes of the compound. We then get,

Na=25.43%

Cl=39.20%

O₂=35.38%

To check your answer for these types of problems, check to see if the sum of all the individual percentages adds up to approximately 100%.

Hope this helps!