Student activity C4.

1
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................

Amount of substance

Specification references
 C4.3.1.2 Relative formula mass
 C4.3.2.1 Moles
 WS 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.5, 4.6

Aims
This activity gives you practice in using relative atomic masses to calculate
relative formula masses.
It also provides you with practice in using these values to calculate the number of
moles present in a given mass of substance.

Learning outcomes
After completing this activity, you should be able to:
 state what is meant by the term relative atomic mass
 calculate relative formula masses
 define one mole of substance in terms of Ar and Mr
 state the number of atoms in one mole
 use the relationship between the mass of a substance and the number of
moles.

Setting the scene

The masses of atoms and molecules are so small that we use relative masses in
experiments and calculations. If we are dealing with atoms, we use the term
relative atomic mass (Ar). If we are dealing with molecular or ionic substances we
use the term relative formula mass (Mr).
The mole is a word we use to describe the amount of a substance. One mole is
the relative atomic mass or relative formula mass expressed in grams.

Task
Answer the questions on relative atomic masses, relative formula masses, and
moles, using the relative atomic masses given to you as reference.

Relative atomic masses:

H 1, C 12, O 16, N 14, Na 23, S 32, Mg 24, Cl 35.5, Fe 56

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 Student activity C4.1
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................

Questions
1 Use your Periodic Table to find the symbol and relative atomic mass of:
a the element at the top of Group 1

(1 mark)

b the second element in Group 6

(1 mark)

c the Group 3 element in Period 3

(1 mark)

d the Group 0 element in Period 1.

(1 mark)

2 a Explain why relative atomic masses are used rather than actual masses
of atoms.

(1 mark)

b Which element is used as the standard when comparing masses of

atoms?

(1 mark)

3 The relative formula mass (Mr) of a compound is the sum of the relative atomic
masses of the atoms in the numbers shown in the formula. Use the Ar values
given at the start of this activity to calculate the Mr of the following substances:
a H2

(1 mark)

b CO2

(1 mark)

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 Student activity C4.1
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c H2O

(1 mark)

d NH3

(1 mark)

e CH4

(1 mark)

f NaOH

(1 mark)

g H2SO4

(1 mark)

h Na2CO3

(1 mark)

i Mg(NO3)2.

(1 mark)

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 Student activity C4.1
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................

4 The number of moles present in a given mass of a substance can be found by

dividing the mass in grams by the Ar or Mr.

Calculate the number of moles in:

a 6 g of C

(1 mark)

b 48 g of Mg

(1 mark)

c 8 g of O2

(1 mark)

d 170 g of NH3

(1 mark)

e 45 g of H2O

(1 mark)

f 176 g CO2.

(1 mark)

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 Student activity C4.1
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5 Calculate the mass of:

a 20 moles of Fe

(1 mark)

b 2 moles of H2SO4

(1 mark)

c 0.5 moles of CO2

(1 mark)

d 5 moles of H2O

(1 mark)

e 0.1 mole of Na2CO3.

(1 mark)

6 How many atoms are there in:

a 23 g of Na?

(1 mark)

b 12 g of Mg?

(1 mark)

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 Student activity C4.1
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................

Student follow up
1 One mole of a substance contains the same number of atoms or molecules as
one mole of any other substance.
a Which contains more atoms: 56 g of Fe or 16 g of S? Show your working.

(2 marks)

b Which contains more molecules: 340 g of NH3 or 90 g of H2O? Show your
working.

(2 marks)

c How many more atoms are there in 48 g of C compared to 48 g of Mg?
Explain your answer.

(2 marks)

d Explain why 2 g of H2 contains more molecules than 2 g of O2.

(2 marks)

2 Calculate which substance in the following pairs is heavier:

a 1 mole of NaCl or 1 mole of Na2CO3

(2 marks)

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 Student activity C4.1
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b 0.5 moles of Mg or 5 moles of H2

(2 marks)

c 10 moles of He or 1.5 moles of O2.

(2 marks)

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