---
title: "A student analyzes a solid mixture containing calcium carbonate, \\(\\text{CaCO}_3\\), and an inert, thermally stable inorganic filler. The student places a sample of the mixture into a crucible and heats it strongly to decompose the calcium carbonate according to the following reaction:  \\[ \\text{CaCO}_3(s) \\rightarrow \\text{CaO}(s) + \\text{CO}_2(g) \\]  The filler does not react or lose mass upon heating. The student collects the gravimetric data shown in the table below.  | Measurement | Mass (\\(\\text{g}\\)) | |—|—| | Mass of empty crucible and cover | \\(24.35\\) | | Mass of crucible, cover, and sample before heating | \\(29.35\\) | | Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after first heating | \\(27.72\\) | | Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after second heating | \\(27.59\\) | | Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after third heating | \\(27.59\\) |  Based on the data, what is the percent by mass of the inert filler in the original mixture?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/121383/"
date_modified: "2026-08-23T05:02:01+00:00"
---

# A student analyzes a solid mixture containing calcium carbonate, \(\text{CaCO}_3\), and an inert, thermally stable inorganic filler. The student places a sample of the mixture into a crucible and heats it strongly to decompose the calcium carbonate according to the following reaction:

\[ \text{CaCO}_3(s) \rightarrow \text{CaO}(s) + \text{CO}_2(g) \]

The filler does not react or lose mass upon heating. The student collects the gravimetric data shown in the table below.

| Measurement | Mass (\(\text{g}\)) |
|—|—|
| Mass of empty crucible and cover | \(24.35\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and sample before heating | \(29.35\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after first heating | \(27.72\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after second heating | \(27.59\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after third heating | \(27.59\) |

Based on the data, what is the percent by mass of the inert filler in the original mixture?

A student analyzes a solid mixture containing calcium carbonate, \(\text{CaCO}_3\), and an inert, thermally stable inorganic filler. The student places a sample of the mixture into a crucible and heats it strongly to decompose the calcium carbonate according to the following reaction:

\[ \text{CaCO}_3(s) \rightarrow \text{CaO}(s) + \text{CO}_2(g) \]

The filler does not react or lose mass upon heating. The student collects the gravimetric data shown in the table below.

| Measurement | Mass (\(\text{g}\)) |
|---|---|
| Mass of empty crucible and cover | \(24.35\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and sample before heating | \(29.35\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after first heating | \(27.72\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after second heating | \(27.59\) |
| Mass of crucible, cover, and contents after third heating | \(27.59\) |

Based on the data, what is the percent by mass of the inert filler in the original mixture?

- **A.** \(20\%\)
- **B.** \(35\%\)
- **C.** \(65\%\)
- **D.** \(80\%\)

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/121383/*