It has been said that every breath we take, on average, contains molecules that were once exhaled by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). The following calculations demonstrate the validity of this statement.
(a) Calculate the total number of molecules in the atmosphere. (Use the result in Problem 5.102 and 29.0 g/mol as the molar mass of air.)
(b) Assuming the volume of every breath (inhale or exhale) is 500 mL, calculate the number of molecules exhaled in each breath at 37°C, which is the body temperature.
(c) If Mozart's lifespan was exactly 35 years, what is the number of molecules he exhaled in that period? (Given that an average person breathes 12 times per minute.)
(d) Calculate the fraction of molecules in the atmosphere that was exhaled by Mozart. How many of Mozart's molecules do we breathe in with every inhalation of air? Round off your answer to one signify cant figure.
(e) List three important assumptions in these calculations.