Converting between Moles and Atoms

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By understanding the relationship between moles and Avogadro's number, scientists can convert between number of
moles and number of atoms.

Learning Objective[ edit ]

 Convert between the number of moles and the number of atoms in a given substance using Avagadro's
number

Key Points[ edit ]

o Avogadro's number is a very important relationship to remember: 1 mole = 6.022×1023 atoms,

molecules, protons, etc.
o To convert from moles to atoms, multiply the molar amount by Avogadro's number.
o To convert from atoms to moles, divide the atom amount by Avogadro's number (or multiply by
its reciprocal).

Terms[ edit ]

 mole

The amount of substance of a system that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 12 g of
carbon-12.

 Avogadro's number

The number of atoms present in 12 g of carbon-12, which is 6.022×1023 and the number of elementary
entities (atoms or molecules) comprising one mole of a given substance.

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Full Text[ edit ]

Moles and Atoms

As introduced in the previous concept, the mole can be used to relate masses of substances to the quantity of atoms
therein. This is an easy way of determining how much of one substance can react with a given amount of another
substance.
From moles of a substance, one can also find the number of atoms in a sample and vice versa. The bridge between
atoms and moles is Avogadro's number, 6.022×10 23.

Avogadro's number is typically dimensionless, but when it defines the mole, it can be expressed as 6.022×10 23
elementary entities/mol. This form shows the role of Avogadro's number as a conversion factor between the number
of entities and the number of moles. Therefore, given the relationship 1 mol = 6.022 x 1023 atoms, converting
between moles and atoms of a substance becomes a simple dimensional analysis problem.

Converting Moles to Atoms

Given a known number of moles (x), one can find the number of atoms (y) in this molar quantity by multiplying it
by Avogadro's number:

x moles⋅6.022×1023atoms1 mole=y atoms

For example, if scientists want to know how may atoms are in six moles of sodium (x = 6), they could solve:

6 moles⋅6.022×1023atoms1 mole=3.61×1024atoms

Note that the solution is independent of whether the element is sodium or otherwise.

Converting Atoms to Moles

Reversing the calculation above, it is possible to convert a number of atoms to a molar quantity by dividing it by
Avogadro's number:

x atoms6.022×1023atoms1 mole=y moles

This can be written without a fraction in the denominator by multiplying the number of atoms by the reciprocal of
Avogadro's number:

x atoms⋅1 mole6.022×1023 atoms=y moles

For example, if scientists know there are 3.5⋅1024 atoms in a sample, they can calculate the number of moles this
quantity represents:

3.5×1024 atoms⋅1 mole6.022×1023 atoms=5.81 moles

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 Avogadro Number Calculations II
How Many Atoms or Molecules?

Return to Mole Table of Contents

The value for Avogadro's Number is 6.022 x 1023 mol¯1.

Types of problems you might be asked look something like these:

1. 0.450 mole (or gram) of Fe contains how many atoms?

2. 0.200 mole (or gram) of H2O contains how many molecules?

When the word gram replaces mole, you have a related set of problems which requires one more
step. So keep in mind that there are 4 example problems just above.

1. Calculate the number of molecules in 1.058 mole (or gram) of H2O

2. Calculate the number of atoms in 0.750 mole (or gram) of Fe

These problems use the reverse technique of the above. Once again, replacing mole with gram
adds one step to the procedure.

Here is a graphic of the procedure steps:

Pick the box of the data you are given in the problem and follow the steps toward the box
containing what you are asked for in the problem.

Problem #1: 0.450 mole of Fe contains how many atoms?

Solution:

Start from the box labeled "mole" and move (to the right) to the box labeled "atoms." What do
you have to do to get there? That's right - multiply by Avogadro's Number.

0.450 mol x 6.022 x 1023 mol¯1

Problem #2: 0.200 mole of H2O contains how many molecules?

Solution:

0.200 mol x 6.022 x 1023 mol¯1

The answers (including units) to the above two problems

The unit on Avogadro's Number might look a bit weird. It is mol¯1 and you would say "per
mole" out loud. The question then is WHAT per mole?

The answer is it depends on the problem. In the first example, I used iron, an element. Almost all
elements come in the form of individual atoms, so the correct numerator with most elements is
"atoms." (I will leave you to figure out the exceptions.)

So, doing the calculation and rounding off to three sig figs, we get 2.71 x 1023 mol¯1 atoms.
Notice "atoms" never gets written until the end. It is assumed to be there in the case of elements.
If you wrote Avogadro's Number with the unit atoms/mole in the problem, you would be correct.

The same type of discussion applies to substances which are molecular in nature, such as water.
So the numerator I use here is "molecule" and the problem answer is 1.20 x 1023 molecules.

Once again, the numerator part of Avogadro's Number depends on what is in the problem. Other
possible numerators include "formula units," ions, or electrons. These, of course, are all specific
to a given problem. When a general word is used, the most common one is "entities," as in 6.022
x 1023 entities/mol.

Video: How to Convert Between Number of Molecules and Moles

Let us now continue with more solutions to the example problems above. Here are the same two
problems as before, but with gram replacing mole:

1. 0.450 gram of Fe contains how many atoms?

2. 0.200 gram of H2O contains how many molecules?

Look at the solution steps and you'll see we have to go from grams (on the left) across to the
right through moles and then to how many. So, for the first one it would be like this:

Step One: 0.450 g divided by 55.85 g/mol = 0.00806 mol

Step Two: 0.00806 mol x 6.022 x 1023 atoms/mol

and for the second, we have:

Step One: 0.200 g divided by 18.0 g/mol = 0.0111 mol

Step Two: 0.0111 mol x 6.022 x 1023 molecules/mol

Video: Given 14.05 g of SO2, how many molecules is this?

Practice Problems
Now, let's see how well you can do the opposite direction. The first two are the one-step type and
the second two are the two-step type.

1) Calculate the number of molecules in 1.058 mole of H2O

2) Calculate the number of atoms in 0.750 mole of Fe

3) Calculate the number of molecules in 1.058 gram of H2O

4) Calculate the number of atoms in 0.750 gram of Fe

5) Which contains more molecules: 10.0 grams of O2 or 50.0 grams of iodine, I2?

6) A solution of ammonia and water contains 2.10 x 1025 water molecules and 8.10 x 1024
ammonia molecules. How many total hydrogen atoms are in this solution?

Go to Answers for 1 - 6

Problem #7: How many atoms of chlorine are in 16.50 g of iron(III) chloride?

Solution:

1) Determine moles of FeCl3:

16.50 g / 162.204 g mol¯1 = 0.101723755 mol

2) Determine how many formula units of iron(III) chloride are in 0.1017 mol:

0.101723755 mol x 6.022 x 1023 = 6.1258 x 1022

3) Determine number of Cl atoms in 6.1258 x 1022 formula units of FeCl3:

6.1258 x 1022 x 3 = 1.838 x 1023 (to 4 sig fig)

Problem #8: How much does 100 million atoms of gold weigh?

Solution:

1) Determine moles of gold in 1.000 x 108 (we'll assume four sig figs):

1.000 x 108 atoms divided by 6.022 x 1023 atoms/mol = 1.660577881 x 10¯16 mol

2) Determine grams in 1.66 x 10¯16 mol of gold:

1.660577881 x 10¯16 mol times 196.97 g/mol = 3.271 x 10¯14 g (to four sig fig)

Problem #9: What is the mass of CH4 molecules if they are made from 15.05 x 1023 atoms?

Solution:

1) In 'x' molecules of methane there are:

'x' atoms of C
'4x' atoms of H

2) From which follows this equation:

x + 4x = 15.05 x 1023

x = 3.01 x 1023 atoms of C

3) Since there is 1 atom of C for every 1 molecule of CH4, we have:

3.01 x 1023 molecules of CH4

4) Calculate moles of CH4:

3.01 x 1023 molecules divided by 6.02 x 1023 molecules/mol = 0.500 mole of CH4

Calculate mass:

0.500 mol times 16.0426 g/mol = 8.02 g (to three sig figs)
Problem #10: Suppose we knew that there were 8.170 x 1020 atoms of O in an unknown sample
of KMnO4. How many milligrams would the unknown sample weigh?

Solution:

1) determine how many formula units of KMnO4 there are:

8.170 x 1020 atoms divided by 4 atoms per formula unit

2.0425 x 1020 formula units of KMnO4

2) Determine moles of KMnO4:

2.0425 x 1020 formula units divided by 6.022 x 1023 formula units per mol

3.39173 x 10¯4mol

3) Determine grams, then milligrams of KMnO4:

3.39173 x 10¯4mol times 158.032 g/mol

0.0536 g = 53.6 mg

Problem #11: A solid sample of cesium sulfate contains 5.780 x 1023 cesium ions. How many
grams of cesium sulfate must be present? (This question was formatted while in transit through
the Panama Canal, Nov. 7, 2010.)

Solution:

1) Determine how many formula units of Cs2SO4 must be present:

5.780 x 1023 divided by 2 = 2.890 x 1023

This is because there are 2 Cs atoms per one cesium sulfate formula unit.

2) Determine how many moles of Cs2SO4 are present:

2.890 x 1023 divided by 6.022 x 1023 mol¯1= 0.479907 mol

3) Determine grams of cesium sulfate:

0.479907 mol times 361.8735 g/mol = 1