What is the composition of 100 grams of water in terms of hydrogen and oxygen?

Water (H₂O) consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. To determine the composition of 100 grams of water, we first need to know the molar masses of hydrogen and oxygen. The molar mass of hydrogen is approximately 1 gram per mole, and the molar mass of oxygen is about 16 grams per mole.

In one mole of water (which has a mass of 18 grams), there are 2 grams of hydrogen (since 2 hydrogen atoms x 1 g/mol = 2 g) and 16 grams of oxygen (1 oxygen atom x 16 g/mol = 16 g). Thus, the proportions of hydrogen and oxygen by mass in water can be calculated as follows:

1. The total mass of one mole of water is 2 g (hydrogen) + 16 g (oxygen) = 18 g.

2. The mass percent of hydrogen in water is calculated by taking the mass of hydrogen divided by the total mass of water and multiplying it by 100: (2 g / 18 g) x 100 ≈ 11.1%.

3. The mass percent of oxygen in water is then (16 g / 18 g) x 100 ≈