To determine the concentration of total volatile solids (TVS), we need to calculate the mass of volatile solids and then express this mass in mg/L, considering the initial volume of the sample.
Step 1: Calculate the mass of total volatile solids.
The total volatile solids are the difference in mass before and after the sample is heated in the muffle furnace. The mass of the sample before heating includes both volatile and fixed solids, while the mass after heating represents only the fixed solids.
- Initial weight of the crucible with the wet sample = 55.129 g
- Final weight of the crucible with residue = 54.783 g
- Mass of volatile solids = Initial weight - Final weight
\[
\text{Mass of volatile solids} = 55.129 \, \text{g} - 54.783 \, \text{g} = 0.346 \, \text{g}
\]
Step 2: Convert mass to mg.
Since the mass of volatile solids is in grams, we need to convert it to milligrams:
\[
0.346 \, \text{g} = 346 \, \text{mg}
\]
Step 3: Calculate the concentration of volatile solids.
The volume of the sample is given as 50 mL. To express the concentration in mg/L, we first convert the volume to liters:
\[
50 \, \text{mL} = 0.050 \, \text{L}
\]
Now, we can calculate the concentration:
\[
\text{Concentration of total volatile solids} = \frac{346 \, \text{mg}}{0.050 \, \text{L}} = 6920 \, \text{mg/L}
\]
Thus, the correct answer is option (C).
Final Answer: 6920 mg/L