To calculate the mass fraction (\( w \)) of potassium carbonate (\( K_2CO_3 \)) in the given mixture, we need to find the mass of potassium carbonate in relation to the total mass of the mixture.
Let's denote:
- \( m(K_2CO_3) \) as the mass of potassium carbonate,
- \( m(MgCO_3) = 16.8 \) g as the mass of magnesium carbonate,
- \( m(K_2CO_3) \) is what we need to calculate.
The total mass given is \( m(K_2CO_3) + m(MgCO_3) = 250 \) g.
From this, we can deduce: \[ m(K_2CO_3) + 16.8 = 250 \] \[ m(K_2CO_3) = 250 - 16.8 = 233.2 \text{ g} \]
Now that we have the mass of \( K_2CO_3 \), we can calculate the mass fraction \( w(K_2CO_3) \): \[ w(K_2CO_3) = \frac{m(K_2CO_3)}{m(K_2CO_3) + m(MgCO_3)} = \frac{233.2}{250} \]
Now, calculate \( w(K_2CO_3) \): \[ w(K_2CO_3) = \frac{233.2}{250} \] \[ w(K_2CO_3) = 0.9328 \]
To express it as a percentage: \[ w(K_2CO_3) \times 100 = 93.28\% \]
Thus, the mass fraction of potassium carbonate (\( w(K_2CO_3) \)) in the mixture is approximately 93.28%.