Summary of Chemistry Textbook: Section 4.

1 The Mole Concept and Avogadros

Constant
- A relative scale is one in which all measurements are compared to one standard or
reference measure
- Relative scales have no units they are merely comparisons of one quantity with another
- Advantage of relative scales is that very large or very small numbers can be compared more
easily
- To generate the relative scale of atomic masses, chemists chose the most abundant isotope
of the element carbon, the carbon-12 isotope (
12
C), relative mass of exactly 12 units
- Reasons for choosing carbon:
Carbon is very cheap and is widely available
It is relatively easy to isolate and purify this isotope
Carbon is not toxic in any way
- Mass of 12 units mirrors the mass number of the isotope
- Relative atomic mass will closely parallel the number of these fundamental particles in the
nucleus of the element
- Thus, the lightest of all elements, hydrogen, will have a relative atomic mass of close to 1
- A mole is defined as the amount of substance that contains as many elementary particles
as there are atoms in precisely 12 grams of the carbon-12 isotope
- Actual number of atoms determined as approximately 6.02 x 10
23

- Number is known as Avogadros constant, (symbol, L)
- It is important to recognise that a mole is simply a number, just as a dozen is equal to 12 or a
gross is equal to 144

L = 6.02 x 10
23
mol
-1


- Atoms are so small that it is impossible to see an individual atom
Calculating numbers of particles
- If you are asked to calculate a number of particles, the you are calculating the quantity
represented by N and you will obtain a number with no units
- Asked to calculate an amount of substance, then you are trying to find a number of mole of
the substance
- This is the quantity represented by n and will have the units mol

Where n = number of mole (amount), N = number of particles and L = Avogadros constant
SECTION 4.1 EXERCISES
1. Calculate the number of mole of the stated particles in 1.00 mole of sulphuric acid.
a) Atoms of sulphur 1
b) Atoms of hydrogen 2
c) Atoms of oxygen 4
d) Total number of atoms 7
2. Calculate the number of mole of the stated particles in each of the following.
a) Magnesium ions in 1.25 mole of magnesium nitrate 1.25
b) Sodium ions in 3.25 mole of sodium sulfate 2 x 3.25 = 6.50 mole of sodium ions
3. Calculate the number of mole of the states particles in each of the following.
a) Carbon atoms in 2.00 mole of propane 2.00 x 3 = 6 mole of carbon atoms
b) Carbon and hydrogen atoms in 1.25 mole of pentane 1.25 x 17 = 21.25
4. Determine the number of particles, present in the following:
a) 3.50 mol of ammonia molecules
n = 3.50
L = 6.02 x 10
23

Therefore; 3.50 x 6.02 x 10
23
= 2.10
24

b) 3.22 x 10
-3
mol of manganese nitrate
n = 3.22 x 10
-3

L = 6.02 x 10
23
Therefore; 3.22 x 10
-3
x 6.02 x 10
23
= 1.94 x 10
21
5. Calculate the amount of substance in mol present in each of the following.
a) 1.44 x 10
24
atoms of neon
= 2.39 mol of atoms
b) 1000 atoms of mercury
= 1.661 x 10
21
mol of atoms