Question

Which of the following statements is incorrect? A. Molecular mass is expressed in atomic mass units. B. Formula mass compares the mass of one formula unit of a substance to the mass of one atom of carbon-12. C. Atomic mass has units of grams per atom. D. Both molecular mass and formula mass use carbon-12 as a reference standard. E. Sodium chloride, an ionic compound, is said to have a formula weight, but not a molecular weight.

Answer 1

Answer:

• The incorrect statement is the choice C. Atomic mass has units of grams per atom.

Explanation:

1) Choice A. Molecular mass is expressed in atomic mass units.

Correct. Atomic mass units (a.m.u) is the standard unit used to express the mass of the atoms and the molecules.

Since, one atom, molecule, or formula unit is a tiny amount of material, it has a ver, very low mass, and the unit mass of a molecule is referred to one mole (6.022 × 10²³ units).

2) Choice B. Formula mass compares the mass of one formula unit of a substance to the mass of one atom of carbon-12.

Correct. The masses of atoms and compounds are referred to a standard. Such standard is the carbon-12 atom. This is, the cabon-12 atom was selected as the standard and its exact mass is 12 a.m.u.

3)  Choice C. Atomic mass has units of grams per atom.

Incorrect. Atomic mass is the mass of the atoms, but, since, the mass of one atom is so small, the atomic mass is referred to one mole. Hence, the atomic mass has units of grams per mole.

4) Choice D. Both molecular mass and formula mass use carbon-12 as a reference standard.

Correct. As stated when explaining the option B, the mass of atoms, molecules, and formula units are referred to carbon-12 standard.

5) Choice E. Sodium chloride, an ionic compound, is said to have a formula weight, but not a molecular weight.

Correct. The reason is that ionic compounds form large structures (crystals) and, since there is not such thing as one molecule of them, they are said to have formula weight (or mass) but not a molecular weight.

The name molecules is reserved for covalent compounds, where you can formally identify molecules. E.g. Water is a molecular compound, and each molecule has molecular formula H₂O, whose mass is the molecular mass.