To determine how many moles of mercury are present in 1 liter of the liquid metal, we can follow a straightforward calculation using the density and the atomic mass of mercury. Let's break it down step by step.
Understanding Density and Volume
The density of a substance is defined as its mass per unit volume. In this case, the density of liquid mercury is given as 13.6 g/cm³. Since we are working with 1 liter of mercury, we need to convert liters to cubic centimeters because the density is provided in grams per cubic centimeter.
Conversion of Volume
1 liter is equivalent to 1000 cubic centimeters (cm³). Therefore, we can say:
- Volume of mercury = 1 L = 1000 cm³
Calculating Mass
Now that we have the volume, we can calculate the mass of mercury using the formula:
Mass = Density × Volume
Substituting the known values:
Mass = 13.6 g/cm³ × 1000 cm³
This gives us:
Mass = 13600 g
Finding Moles of Mercury
Next, we need to convert the mass of mercury into moles. The number of moles can be calculated using the formula:
Moles = Mass / Molar Mass
Given that the atomic mass of mercury (Hg) is 200 g/mol, we can substitute the values:
Moles = 13600 g / 200 g/mol
Calculating this gives:
Moles = 68
Final Answer
Thus, the number of moles of mercury in 1 liter of the metal is 68. Therefore, the correct choice from the options provided is (C) 68.