Question

A particular sample of fresh carrot is 79% free water. After drying the sample, the carrot’s new mass was 8 g. After burning the dried carrot until smoke no longer appeared, however, the mass of the remaining ash was 1.2 g. what is the organic content of the carrot tissue expressed as a percentage of fresh weight?

Answer 1

Answer:

17.85% is the organic content of the carrot tissue.

Explanation:

Percentage of water is carrot sample = 79%

Mass of the sample = M

Mass of the water is sample = 79% of M = 0.79M

Percentage of dried carrot sample = 100%-79%=21%

Mass of the carrot sample after drying = 8 g

$21\%=\frac{8 g}{M}\times 100$

$M=38.10 g$

Mass of ash =- 1.2 g

Mass of organic matter = 8 g - 1.2 g = 6.8 g

Percentage of organic matter ;

$=\frac{6.8 g}{38.10 g}\times 100=17.85\%$

17.85% is the organic content of the carrot tissue.