Counting by Weighing: Comparing Beans

I. Beans
1. Take the mass of each dish. Label them by each type in pen.
2. Count 60 of each type of bean into the appropriate dish.
3. Complete the chart using the dishes of beans and a balance.
(Subtract to find the mass of the beans.)
4. Find the average mass of each bean. Use the same number of
significant digits in your answer as you gave for your
measurements.
Bean Type
Mass of
dish in
grams
Mass of
dish and
beans
Mass of
beans

Average
bean
mass

5. Use class data to find the average masses of each individual

type of bean.
Bean Type
Group:
Group:
Group:
Group:
Average

It can be frustrating to always be using decimals in working with

these masses. For this reason, we will define the bean mass unit
(bmu) as being the mass of the smallest bean.
6. Complete the following chart from the smallest to the largest
bean:
Mass
In grams
In bmu

Since beans are small, we also want to refer to large numbers of

beans without having to use large numbers. For this reason, we
will define a bowl of beans to be the bean mass expressed in
kilograms. This means that the bowl is different for each type of
bean.
7. Complete the following chart from the smallest to largest bean.

Mass of
one bowl
Number of
beans in
one bowl
Identify the Special Bean Number:
II.

Questions: Answer the following questions and submit.

USE ONLY THE CLASS AVERAGE BEAN MASS.

1. Match each bean related term to each chemistry term by putting

the roman numeral in the blank.
a. bean mass unit

___

i. molecule

b. bowl

___

ii. Atomic mass unit

c. beanecule

___

iii. Avogadros number

d. special bean number___

iv. Mole

e. bean

v. Atom

___

2. Answer true or false. Defend your answer.

a. All beans of one type are identical.

b. All beans of one type have approximately the same mass.

3. How are your answers analagous to the periodic table? Use the
word `isotope in your answer.

4. Give a flow diagram which describes how to mathematically

convert between:
Mass of Beans

Bowls of Beans

# of Beans

For your reference:

- The basis for the masses listed on the periodic table is not the hydrogen
atom. It is instead 1/12 of the mass of the carbon-12 isotope.
- Remember that the mass of one neutron is approximately equal to the mass
of one proton and this mass is approximately 1 atomic mass unit.
- 1.00 mole of a type of particle contains 6.02 x 1023 particles (Avogadros
number)
- 1.00 mole of an element has a mass of its atomic mass in grams (g)