To determine the mass of carbon that would have the same number of atoms as 48 grams of magnesium, we need to compare the molar masses of both elements.
The molar mass of magnesium (Mg) is approximately 24.31 grams/mol, based on its atomic mass from the periodic table.
The molar mass of carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 grams/mol.
To find the mass of carbon equivalent to 48 grams of magnesium, we can set up a proportion:
(48 g Mg) / (24.31 g/mol Mg) = (x g C) / (12.01 g/mol C)
Cross-multiplying and solving for x:
48 g Mg * 12.01 g/mol C = 24.31 g/mol Mg * x g C
576.48 g = 24.31 g/mol Mg * x g C
x g C = 576.48 g / 24.31 g/mol Mg
x ≈ 23.72 g
Therefore, approximately 23.72 grams of carbon will have the same number of atoms as 48 grams of magnesium.