How many atoms of phosphorus are in 9.10 mol of copper(II) phosphate? number of P atoms =?

Question

How many atoms of phosphorus are in 9.10

mol of copper(II) phosphate?

number of P atoms = ?

Answer 1

Copper(II) phosphate = Cu₃(PO₄)₂

How many P atoms are in 9.10 moles of Cu₃(PO₄)₂?

Each mole of Cu₃(PO₄)₂ contains 2 moles of P atoms (this is from the formula above)

2 mols of P atoms / mole Cu₃(PO₄)₂ x 9.10 moles Cu₃(PO₄)₂ = 18.2 moles of P atoms

Now, each mole of P atoms contains 6.02x1023 atoms, so the number of P atoms is...

18.2 moles of P atoms x 6.02x1023 atoms / mol = 1.10x10²⁵ P atoms

Done another way:

9.10 mols Cu₃(PO₄)₂ x 6.02x10²³ molecules / mol = 5.48x10²⁴ molecules of Cu₃(PO₄)₂

5.48x10²⁴ molecules of Cu₃(PO₄)₂ x 2 P atoms / molecule = 1.10x10²⁵ atoms of P

Answer 2

So Nicole H.,

Why would you guess on this? Find a table of charges of ions, and write formula for (neutral) copper (II) phosphate. Then inspect that formula for relative numbers of Cu and P atoms, and ratio (down) appropriately.

Now let's get into the other important stuff. How many things does phosphate do in your body? How many things does copper do? The relative length of those lists might surprise you.

-- Cheers, --Mr. d.