Molar Mass

Avogadro’s Number and the Mole

The mole is represented by Avogadro’s number, which is 6.022×10 23 atoms or molecules per mol.

Key Points

 The mole allows scientists to calculate the number of elementary entities (usually atoms or molecules )
in a certain mass of a given substance.
 Avogadro’s number is an absolute number: there are 6.022×1023 elementary entities in 1 mole. This can
also be written as 6.022×1023 mol-1.
 The mass of one mole of a substance is equal to that substance’s molecular weight. For example, the
mean molecular weight of water is 18.015 atomic mass units (amu), so one mole of water weight 18.015
grams.

Key Terms

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

The chemical changes observed in any reaction involve the rearrangement of billions of atoms. It is impractical
to try to count or visualize all these atoms, but scientists need some way to refer to the entire quantity. They
also need a way to compare these numbers and relate them to the weights of the substances, which
they can measure and observe. The solution is the concept of the mole, which is very important in quantitative
chemistry.
Avogadro’s Number
Amadeo Avogadro first proposed that the volume of a gas at a given pressure and temperature is proportional
to the number of atoms or molecules, regardless of the type of gas. Although he did not determine the exact
proportion, he is credited for the idea
Avogadro’s number is a proportion that relates molar mass on an atomic scale to physical mass on a human
scale. Avogadro’s number is defined as the number of elementary particles (molecules, atoms, compounds,
etc.) per mole of a substance. It is equal to 6.022×1023 mol-1 and is expressed as the symbol NA.
Avogadro’s number is a similar concept to that of a dozen or a gross. A dozen molecules is 12 molecules. A
gross of molecules is 144 molecules. Avogadro’s number is 6.022×1023 molecules. With Avogadro’s number,
scientists can discuss and compare very large numbers, which is useful because substances in everyday
quantities contain very large numbers of atoms and molecules.

The Mole

The mole (abbreviated mol) is the SI measure of quantity of a “chemical entity,” such as atoms,
electrons, or protons. It is defined as the amount of a substance that contains as many particles as
there are atoms in 12 grams of pure carbon-12. So, 1 mol contains 6.022×10 23 elementary entities of
the substance.

Chemical Computations with Avogadro’s Number and the Mole

Avogadro’s number is fundamental to understanding both the makeup of molecules and their
interactions and combinations. For example, since one atom of oxygen will combine with two atoms
of hydrogen to create one molecule of water (H 2O), one mole of oxygen (6.022×1023 of O atoms) will
combine with two moles of hydrogen (2 × 6.022×10 23 of H atoms) to make one mole of H2O.

Another property of Avogadro’s number is that the mass of one mole of a substance is equal to that
substance’s molecular weight. For example, the mean molecular weight of water is 18.015 atomic
mass units (amu), so one mole of water weight 18.015 grams. This property simplifies many chemical
computations.

If you have 1.25 grams of a molecule with molecular weight of 134.1 g/mol, how many moles of that
molecule do you have?

1.25 g×1 mole134.1 g=0.0093 moles
The Mole, Avogadro: This video introduces counting by mass, the mole, and how it relates to atomic
mass units (AMU) and Avogadro’s number.

Converting between Moles and Atoms

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

Key Points

 Avogadro’s number is a very important relationship to remember: 1 mole

= 6.022×10236.022×1023 atoms, molecules, protons, etc.
 To convert from moles to atoms, multiply the molar amount by Avogadro’s number.
 To convert from atoms to moles, divide the atom amount by Avogadro’s number (or multiply by its
reciprocal).

Key Terms

 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 6.022×10236.022×1023 and the number of elementary entities (atoms or molecules) comprising one
mole of a given substance.

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
6.022×1023 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 atomsx 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⋅6.022×1023 atoms1 mole=3.61×1024 atoms6 moles⋅6.022×1023 atoms1 mole=3.61×1024 atoms

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 molesx 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 molesx atoms⋅1 mole6.022×1023 atoms=y moles
For example, if scientists know there are 3.5⋅10243.5⋅1024atoms in a sample, they can calculate the
number of moles this quantity represents:
3.5×1024 atoms⋅1 mole6.022×1023 atoms=5.81 moles3.5×1024 atoms⋅1 mole6.022×1023 atoms=5.81 mol
es

Molar Mass of Compounds

The molar mass of a particular substance is the mass of one mole of that substance.

Key Points

 The molar mass is the mass of a given chemical element or chemical compound (g) divided by the
amount of substance (mol).
 The molar mass of a compound can be calculated by adding the standard atomic masses (in g/mol) of
the constituent atoms.
 Molar mass serves as a bridge between the mass of a material and the number of moles since it is not
possible to measure the number of moles directly.

Key Terms

 molar mass: The mass of a given substance (chemical element or chemical compound in g) divided by
its amount of substance (mol).
 mole: The amount of substance of a system that contains as many elementary entities as there are
atoms in 12 g of carbon-12.

Measuring Mass in Chemistry

Chemists can measure a quantity of matter using mass, but in chemical reactions it is often important
to consider the number of atoms of each element present in each sample. Even the smallest quantity
of a substance will contain billions of atoms, so chemists generally use the mole as the unit for the
amount of substance.

One mole (abbreviated mol) is equal to the number of atoms in 12 grams of carbon-12; this number is
referred to as Avogadro’s number and has been measured as approximately 6.022 x 10 23. In other
words, a mole is the amount of substance that contains as many entities (atoms, or other particles) as
there are atoms in 12 grams of pure carbon-12.

amu vs. g/mol

Each ion, or atom, has a particular mass; similarly, each mole of a given pure substance also has a
definite mass. The mass of one mole of atoms of a pure element in grams is equivalent to the atomic
mass of that element in atomic mass units (amu) or in grams per mole (g/mol). Although mass can be
expressed as both amu and g/mol, g/mol is the most useful system of units for laboratory chemistry.
Calculating Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of a given substance divided by the amount of that substance, measured in
g/mol. For example, the atomic mass of titanium is 47.88 amu or 47.88 g/mol. In 47.88 grams of
titanium, there is one mole, or 6.022 x 10 23 titanium atoms.

The characteristic molar mass of an element is simply the atomic mass in g/mol. However, molar
mass can also be calculated by multiplying the atomic mass in amu by the molar mass constant (1
g/mol). To calculate the molar mass of a compound with multiple atoms, sum all the atomic mass of
the constituent atoms.

For example, the molar mass of NaCl can be calculated for finding the atomic mass of sodium (22.99
g/mol) and the atomic mass of chlorine (35.45 g/mol) and combining them. The molar mass of NaCl is
58.44 g/mol.

Converting between Mass and Number of Moles

A substance’s molar mass can be used to convert between the mass of the substance and the
number of moles in that substance.

Key Points

 The molar mass of a compound is equal to the sum of the atomic masses of its constituent atoms in
g/mol.
 Although there is no physical way of measuring the number of moles of a compound, we can relate its
mass to the number of moles by using the compound’s molar mass as a direct conversion factor.
 To convert between mass and number of moles, you can use the molar mass of the substance. Then,
you can use Avogadro’s number to convert the number of moles to number of atoms.

Key Terms

 molar mass: The mass of a given substance (chemical element or chemical compound) divided by its
amount of substance (mol), in g/mol.
 dimensional analysis: The analysis of the relationships between different physical quantities by
identifying their fundamental dimensions (such as length, mass, time, and electric charge) and units of
measure (such as miles vs. kilometers, or pounds vs. kilograms vs. grams) and tracking these
dimensions as calculations or comparisons are performed.
 mole: The amount of substance that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 12 g of
carbon-12.
Chemists generally use the mole as the unit for the number of atoms or molecules of a material. One
mole (abbreviated mol) is equal to 6.022×10 23 molecular entities (Avogadro’s number), and each
element has a different molar mass depending on the weight of 6.022×10 23 of its atoms (1 mole). The
molar mass of any element can be determined by finding the atomic mass of the element on the
periodic table. For example, if the atomic mass of sulfer (S) is 32.066 amu, then its molar mass is
32.066 g/mol.

By recognizing the relationship between the molar mass (g/mol), moles (mol), and particles, scientists
can use dimensional analysis convert between mass, number of moles and number of atoms very
easily.

Converting between mass, moles, and particles: This flowchart illustrates the relationships between mass, moles, and
particles. These relationships can be used to convert between units.

Determining the Molar Mass of a Compound

In a compound of NaOH, the molar mass of Na alone is 23 g/mol, the molar mass of O is 16 g/mol,
and H is 1 g/mol. What is the molar mass of NaOH?
 Na+O+H=NaOHNa+O+H=NaOH
23 g/mol+16 g/mol+1 g/mol=40 g/mol23 g/mol+16 g/mol+1 g/mol=40 g/mol

The molar mass of the compound NaOH is 40 g/mol.

Converting Mass to Number of Moles

How many moles of NaOH are present in 90 g of NaOH?

Since the molar mass of NaOH is 40 g/mol, we can divide the 90 g of NaOH by the molar mass (40
g/mol) to find the moles of NaOH. This the same as multiplying by the reciprocal of 40 g/mol.

If the equation is arranged correctly, the mass units (g) cancel out and leave moles as the unit.

90 g NaOH×1 mol40 g=2.25 mol NaOH90 g NaOH×1 mol40 g=2.25 mol NaOH

There are 2.25 moles of NaOH in 90g of NaOH.

Converting Between Mass, Number of Moles, and Number of Atoms

How many moles and how many atoms are contained in 10.0 g of nickel?

According to the periodic table, the atomic mass of nickel (Ni) is 58.69 amu, which means that the
molar mass of nickel is 58.69 g/mol. Therefore, we can divide 10.0 g of Ni by the molar mass of Ni to
find the number of moles present.

Using dimensional analysis, it is possible to determine that:

10 g Ni×1 mol Ni58.69 g Ni=0.170 mol Ni10 g Ni×1 mol Ni58.69 g Ni=0.170 mol Ni

To determine the number of atoms, convert the moles of Ni to atoms using Avogadro’s number:

0.170 moles Ni×6.022×1023 atoms Ni1 mol Ni=1.02×1023 atoms Ni0.170 moles Ni×6.022×1023 atoms

Ni1 mol Ni=1.02×1023 atoms Ni

Given a sample’s mass and number of moles in that sample, it is also possible to calculate the
sample’s molecular mass by dividing the mass by the number of moles to calculate g/mol.

What is the molar mass of methane (CH4) if there are 0.623 moles in a 10.0g sample?
10.0 g CH40.623 mol CH4=16.05 g/mol CH410.0 g CH40.623 mol CH4=16.05 g/mol CH4
The molar mass of CH4 is 16.05 g/mol.
MOLAR MASS PERCENTAGE
Percent Composition
1. Find the molar mass of all the elements in the compound in grams per mole.
2. Find the molecular mass of the entire compound.
3. Divide the component's molar mass by the entire molecular mass.
4. You will now have a number between 0 and 1. Multiply it by 100% to get percent composition.