CHAPTER 3 : CHEMICAL

FORMULAE & EQUATIONS

3.1 Relative Atomic Mass & Relative

Molecular Mass

3.2 The Mole & the Number of Particles

3.1 Relative Atomic Mass & Relative Molecular Mass

At the end of this lesson you should be able to:

1.State the meaning of relative atomic mass, Ar

based on C-12 scale.
2.State the meaning of relative molecular mass, Mr
based on C-12 scale.
3.State why C-12 is used as a standard for
determining the Ar and Mr.
4.Calculate the Mr of substances.
 THE MEANING OF

Ar Mr

Why C-12 is used as the

standard???

Calculation of Mr
 RELATIVE ATOMIC MASS, Ar
The average mass of one atom of the
element when compared with 1/12 of
the mass of an atom C-12

Ar = the average mass (g) of 1 atom

1/12 x mass of an atom C-12

• Ar does not have any unit

A Sample Calculation of Ar
 EXAMPLE

The Ar of a helium atom is 4. This means

that one atom of helium is 4 times heavier
than 1/12 of one atom of C-12

The Ar of an oxigen atom is 16. This means

that one atom of oxigen is 16 times heavier
than 1/12 of one atom of C-12
 C-12 AS THE STANDARAD

C-12 isotope is almost 99%,

assigned a mass of 12
units. C-13 & C-14 isotopes Solid at room temperature,
make up about 1% easily handled

Easily available, present

in many organic
substances
 RELATIVE MOLECULAR MASS, Mr
The average mass of the molecule
when compared with 1/12 of the mass
of an atom C-12

Mr = the average mass (g) of 1 molecule

1/12 x mass of an atom C-12

• Mr does not have any unit

 EXAMPLE

Water, H2O has a Mr of 18. This means that

1 molecule of water is 18 times heavier
than 1/12 of one atom of C-12

Ammonia, NH3 has a Mr of 17. This means

that 1 molecule of ammonia is 17 times
heavier than 1/12 of one atom of C-12
 CALCULATION OF Mr

Mr of a molecule = The total of Ar of all the atoms

that are present in the molecule

EXAMPLE

Mr for N2 = 2 x Ar of N Mr for Br2 = 2 x Ar of Br

= 2 x 14 = 2 x 80
= 28 = 160
 for ionic substances, the Relative
Formula Masses are used in place of Mr

EXAMPLE

RFM for NaCl = Ar of Na + Ar of Cl

= 23 + 35.5
= 58.5

RFM for MgSO4 = Ar of Mg + Ar of S + 4(Ar of O)

= 24 + 32 + 4(16)
= 120
3.2 The Mole & the Number of Particles

At the end of this lesson you should be able to:

1.Define a mole
2.State the meaning of Avogadro constant, NA
3.Relate the number of particles in one mole of
substance using the NA
4.Solve numerical problems to convert the number
of moles of particles of a given substances and
vice versa
 THE MEANING OF

MOLE AVOGADRO
CONSTANT

Relationship

Solve Problems
 a MOLE
An amount of substance that contains as
many particles as the number of atoms in
exactly 12 g of C-12

How many atoms in 12g of C-12?

23
The value is 6.02 x 10

AVOGADRO CONSTANT
 AVOGADRO CONSTANT
Defined as the number of particles in one
mole of a substance

•1 mole of atomic substance = 6.02 x 10 23 atoms

23
•1 mole of molecular substances = 6.02 x 10 molecules
23
•1 mole of ionic substances = 6.02 x 10 formula units

x NA
No. of Moles No. of Particles
NA
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