If the mass of proton is doubled and that of theneutron is halved, the molecular weight of CO₂ consisting of only C¹² and O¹⁶ atoms, will:

To determine the impact of altering the masses of protons and neutrons on the molecular weight of CO₂, let’s break the solution into clear steps:

1. Standard Molecular Weight of CO₂

The molecular weight of CO₂ is calculated based on the atomic masses of carbon and oxygen:

• Carbon (C¹²): Atomic number = 6 (6 protons and 6 neutrons).
• Oxygen (O¹⁶): Atomic number = 8 (8 protons and 8 neutrons).

For CO₂:

• Total protons in CO₂: 6 + 8 + 8 = 22.
• Total neutrons in CO₂: 6 + 8 + 8 = 22.

Thus, the molecular weight of CO₂ is:

Molecular Weight = 44.01 g/mol.

2. New Molecular Weight with Altered Masses

- New mass of a proton: 2 times its original mass.
- New mass of a neutron: 0.5 times its original mass.

The total new mass of CO₂ is calculated as:

New total mass = (No. of protons × New mass of proton) + (No. of neutrons × New mass of neutron)

Substituting the values:

New total mass = (22 × 2) + (22 × 0.5)

New total mass = 44 + 11 = 55 g/mol.

3. Change in Molecular Weight

The increase in molecular weight is:

Increase in mass = 55 - 44 = 11 g/mol.

The percentage increase in molecular weight is:

Percentage Increase = (Increase in mass / Original Molecular Weight) × 100

Percentage Increase = (11 / 44) × 100 = 25%.

Conclusion

The molecular weight of CO₂ increases by 25% when the mass of a proton is doubled and that of a neutron is halved.