Question

Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C (C6H8O6, molar mass = 176 g/mol), is a naturally occurring organic compound with antioxidant properties. A healthy adult’s daily requirement of vitamin C is 70-90 mg. A sweet lime contains 2.88×10−4 mol of ascorbic acid. To determine whether the ascorbic acid in a sweet lime meets the daily requirement, calculate the mass of ascorbic acid in 2.88×10−4 mol of ascorbic acid.

Answer 1

Answer : 50.69 mg of ascorbic acid does not meet the daily requirement.

Solution : Given,

Molar mass of Ascorbic acid = 176 g/mole

Moles of Ascorbic acid = $2.88\times 10^{-4}moles$

Formula used :

$Moles=\frac{Mass}{\text{ Molar mass}}$

or, $\text{ Mass of ascorbic acid}=\text{ Moles of ascorbic acid}\times \text{ Molar mass of ascorbic acid}$

Now put all the given values in this formula, we get the mass of ascorbic acid.

$\text{ Mass of ascorbic acid}=(2.88\times 10^{-4}moles)\times (176g/mole)=0.050688g=50.69mg$

Conversion : $(1g=1000mg)$

As per question, a healthy adult’s daily requirement of vitamin C is 70-90 mg. But calculate mass of vitamin C is 50.69 mg. So, 50.69 mg of ascorbic acid does not meet the daily requirement.