Mole Concept and Mole Conversions
We have a score of items meaning 20. Then there is the dozen to mean 12 items. The mole identifies a very large number of items.
The mole is a unit that is defined as 6.023 X 1023 particles.
It is also equal to the formula mass of a substance expressed in grams.
For example:
1 mole of H2O = 6.023 X 1023 molecules of H2O = 18 grams H2O
This statement establishes the relationship between mole units and molecule units and the relationship between mole units and gram units.
The following are examples as to how the mole concept is applied:
Mole to gram conversion
· Determine the number of grams in 4 moles of H2O
Formula mass H2O = (2 x 1.0) + (1 x 16) = 18
1 mole H2O = formula mass H2O = 18 grams H2O
4 moles H2O x 18 grams / 1 mole = 72 grams H2O
Gram to Mole conversion
· Determine the number of moles in 88 grams of CO2
Formula Mass CO2 = (1 x 12) + (2 x 16) = 44
1 mole of CO2 = formula mass CO2 = 44 grams CO2
88 grams CO2 x 1 mole CO2 / 44 grams CO2 = 2 moles CO2
Mole to molecule conversion
· Determine the number of molecules of H2O in 3 moles H2O
1 mole H2O = 6.023 X 1023 molecules H2O
3 moles H2O x 6.023 X 1023 molecules H2O / 1 mole H2O = 18.069 X 1023 molecules H2O = 1.8069 X 1024 molecules H2O
Mole to Atoms Conversion
· How many atoms are present in 17.0 mol of water?
In order to convert mols of a substance to atoms one must first convert mols to molecules
STEP 1:
Mols ----> molecules
The relationship between mols and molecules is:
1 mol of any substance = 6.023 X 1023 molecules of that substance.
17.0 moles H2O X 6.023 X 1023 / 1 mole H2O = 102.4 X 1023 = 1.02 X 1025 molecules H2O
STEP 2:
Molecules of substance ----> total atoms
That would depend upon the formula of the substance which in this case is H2O
The subscripts that appear right after the symbol representing an element can be interpreted as atoms of that element in one molecule of the substance.
According to the formula for H2O:
1 molecule H2O = 2 atoms H + 1 atom O = 3 atoms total
So once you have determined the number of molecules of H2O from step 1 you then can use the above relationship between molecules and total atoms to determine the total atoms in the number of molecules determined in step 1
1.02 X 1023 molecules H2O X 3 atoms / 1 molecule H2O = 3.06 X 1023 atoms total