1.71 x 10²¹ molecules of ascorbic acid.
Further explanation
The Problem:
What is the number of molecules of ascorbic acid (vitamin C or C₆H₈O₆) found in a 500 mg tablet?
The Process:
Step-1
Calculate the molar mass of ascorbic acid or C₆H₈O₆.
Rounding the relative atomic mass gives us:
- C = 12 g/mol
- H = 1 g/mol
- O = 16 g/mol
Ascorbic acid consists of six carbon atoms, eight hydrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms, leading to a molar mass of
Step-2
Next, we will determine the number of moles in 500 mg of ascorbic acid by converting it into grams, which is 0.5 g.

This results in 2.84 x 10⁻³ moles.
Step-3
It’s important to note that one mole is equivalent to 6.02 x 10²³ molecules, known as Avogadro's number.
Now let's convert 2.84 x 10⁻³ moles to the total number of molecules (N).


Hence, the total number of molecules in a 500 mg tablet of C₆H₈O₆ is
.
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Quick Steps

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