Household sugar, sucrose, has the molecular formula C12H22O11. What is the % of carbon in sucrose, by mass?

To calculate the percentage of carbon in sucrose by mass, follow these steps:

1. Determine the molar mass of each element in the compound. The molar mass of carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 g/mol, hydrogen (H) is approximately 1.01 g/mol, and oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol.

2. Multiply the molar mass of each element by the number of atoms of that element in the compound. For carbon, this would be 12.01 g/mol * 12 = 144.12 g/mol. For hydrogen, it's 1.01 g/mol * 22 = 22.22 g/mol. For oxygen, it's 16.00 g/mol * 11 = 176.00 g/mol.

3. Add these values together to get the molar mass of the compound. 144.12 g/mol + 22.22 g/mol + 176.00 g/mol = 342.34 g/mol.

4. Divide the total mass of carbon in the compound by the molar mass of the compound and multiply by 100 to get the percentage. (144.12 g/mol / 342.34 g/mol) * 100 = 42.11%.

So, the percentage of carbon in sucrose by mass is approximately 42.11%.