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The Mole (AQA GCSE Chemistry: Combined Science)
Revision Note
The mole
Higher tier only
- Chemical amounts are measured in moles
- The mole, symbol mol, is the SI unit of amount of substance
- One mole of a substance contains the same number of the stated particles
- This can be atoms, molecules or ions
- This can be atoms, molecules or ions
- One mole contains 6.02 x 1023 particles; this number is known as the Avogadro Constant
- For example:
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- One mole of sodium (Na) contains 6.02 x 1023 atoms of sodium
- One mole of hydrogen (H2) contains 6.02 x 1023 molecules of hydrogen
- One mole of sodium chloride (NaCl) contains 6.02 x 1023 formula units of sodium chloride
- One mole of sodium (Na) contains 6.02 x 1023 atoms of sodium
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- The mass of 1 mole of a substance is known as the molar mass
- For an element, it is the same as the relative atomic mass written in grams
- For a compound, it is the same as the relative molecular or formula mass in grams
Worked example
For magnesium chloride, MgCl2, calculate the number of:
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Formula units in 1 mole
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Atoms in 1 mole
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Chloride ions in 1 mole
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Magnesium ions in 2 moles
Answers:
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The formula unit is MgCl2, so 1 mole of MgCl2 is:
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1 x 6.02 x 1023 = 6.02 x 1023 formula units
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There are 3 atoms in MgCl2, so 1 mole of MgCl2 contains:
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3 x 6.02 x 1023 = 18.06 x 1023 atoms
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There are 2 chloride ions in MgCl2, so 1 mole of MgCl2 contains:
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2 x 6.02 x 1023 = 12.04 x 1023 chloride ions
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There is 1 magnesium ion in MgCl2, so 2 mole of MgCl2 contains:
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2 x (1 x 6.02 x 1023) = 12.04 x 1023 magnesium ions
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Examiner Tip
You need to appreciate that the measurement of amounts in moles can apply to atoms, molecules, ions, electrons, formulae and equations. E.g. in one mole of carbon (C) the number of atoms is the same as the number of molecules in one mole of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The mole and atomic mass
- One mole of any element is equal to the relative atomic mass of that element in grams
- This is called the molar mass
- If you had 6.02 x 1023 atoms of carbon in your hand, that number of carbon atoms would have a mass of 12 g (because the Ar of carbon is 12)
- So one mole of helium atoms would have a mass of 4 g (Ar of He is 4), one mole of lithium would have a mass of 7 g (Ar of Li is 7) and so on
- To find the mass of one mole of a compound, we add up the relative atomic masses
- So one mole of water would have a mass of (2 x 1) + 16 = 18 g
Worked example
What is the mass of 0.250 moles of zinc?
Answer:
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From the Periodic Table, the relative atomic mass of Zn is 65
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So, the molar mass is 65 g / mol
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The mass is calculated by moles x molar mass:
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0.250 mol x 65 g / mol = 16.25 g
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Examiner Tip
Remember the key link between moles and mass: one mole of any element is equal to that elements atomic mass in grams.
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Calculating moles & masses
Higher tier only
- Although elements and chemicals react with each other in molar ratios, in the laboratory we use digital balances and grams to measure quantities of chemicals as it is impractical to try and measure out moles
- Therefore, we have to be able to convert between moles and grams
- We can use the following formula to convert between moles, mass in grams and the molar mass:
Formula triangle for moles, mass and molar mass
Worked example
What is the mass of 0.250 moles of zinc?
Answer:
- From the Periodic Table, the relative atomic mass of Zn is 65
- So, the molar mass is 65 g / mol
- The mass is calculated by moles x molar mass
- This comes to 0.250 mol x 65 g / mol = 16.25 g
Worked example
How many moles are in 2.64 g of sucrose, C12H22O11 (Mr = 342)?
Answer:
- The molar mass of sucrose is 342 g / mol
- The number of moles is found by mass ÷ molar mass
- This comes to = 7.72 x 10-3 mol
Examiner Tip
Always show your workings in calculations as its easier to check for errors and you may pick up credit if you get the final answer wrong.
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