20 g of common salt is dissolved in 180 g of water. What is the mass percentage of the salt in the solution ?

To calculate the mass percentage of a solution, one must divide the mass of the solute by the total mass of the solution and multiply by 100. In this problem, the mass of the solute (common salt) is 20 g and the mass of the solvent (water) is 180 g. The total mass of the solution is the sum of the solute and solvent, which equals 200 g (20 g + 180 g). Applying the formula: (Mass of Solute / Total Mass of Solution)!7 100, we get (20 / 200)!7 100. This simplifies to 0.1!7 100, resulting in a mass percentage of 10%. This standard chemical calculation is used to express the concentration of a substance in a mixture.