Chemistry question

Question

Calculate the mass of acetic anhydride used (the density is 1.08 g/mL).

I know I don’t have the information right in front of you, but what information would I need to find the mass of acetic anhydride used?

Answer 1

With the density you provided, you could calculate the mass if you had the volume of the solution. Let's say that the volume is x mL. You would use the formula for density (D = m/V) where D is density, m is mass, and V is volume.

Rearranged algebraically, the formula would become m = D*V (mass = density times volume).

You would multiply 1.08g/mL times x mL and that would give you the grams (mass) of acetic anhydride.

Now, if there are additional requirements for this problem such as determining the mass of acetic anhydride given that it is part of an aqueous solution, then you would need to know the concentration of the acetic anhydride and its molar mass in order to more exactly calculate the actual mass of the compound.