Question

From 1962 until 1981 pennies were made from 95% copper and 5% zinc and had a mass of 3.1 g. Starting in 1982, pennies have been made from 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper and have a mass of 2.5 g. Suppose you have a sample of pennies that consists of 45.4% pre-1982 pennies. Determine the average mass of a penny in this sample.

Answer 1

Answer:

2.7724 g

Explanation:

Mass of pre- 1892 pennies = 3.1 g

Abundance = 45.4 %

Mass of post 1892 pennies = 2.5 g

Abundance = 100 - 45.4 = 54.6 %

The average mass is given as = ( 3.1 g   *  45.4 / 100)  +  (2.5g  *  54.6 / 100)

Average Mass = 3.1 * 0.454   +   2.5  *  0.546

Average Mass = 1.4074  + 1.365 = 2.7724 g