Counting in Chemistry

When referring to atoms, molecules, protons

etc. there are many very, very large numbers
that we need to deal with.

The mole is the SI unit for the amount of
substance and has the abbreviation of mol.

It is a huge number:
602 000 000 000 000 000 000 000,00 OR

6,02 X 10
23
& we usually talk about multiples
or sub-multiples of this number i.e mol or
3 mol etc.
1
The mole
The mole
The number of elementary particles that is equal
to the number of carbon atoms in 12 g of
carbon-12 isotope.

i.e. there are 6,02 x 10
23
atoms of carbon in 12 g
of the carbon-12 isotope.

1 mole of any/every element thus contains
6,02 x 10
23
atoms of that element

This number of particles is also called the
Avogadro constant
The mole
2
One mole of each substance:
The following contain 1 mole (6 x 10
23
) atoms:
32 g sulphur
12 g carbon
65 g zinc
These contain 1 mole of molecules or formula units
250 g CuSO
4
.5H
2
O
18 g H
2
O
58,5 g NaCl
3
Basic Concepts
Atomic number:
number of protons (also equal to number ).
Mass number:
number of nucleons (particles in nucleus).
Element:
a substance of which all atoms have the
same atomic number.
Isotope:
different atoms of the same element with
different mass numbers.

35
17
Cl
37
17
Cl
Are isotopes of chlorine.
Atomic number
4
Relative atomic mass (RAM)
Relative atomic mass:
This is a number that compares the average mass
of an atom with the mass of the C-12 atom taken
to be 12 units.

Take note that it is a rough, average idea of the
number of nucleons an atom has. Because we
are considering a mixture of isotopes, we get
fractions though. No real atom of Carbon has
12,011 nucleons for instance.

It indicates how many times an atom is heavier than
the mass of a nucleon (proton or neutron) and has
been assigned the value of 1 unit expressed as
(amu).
RAM
5
Calculating RAM for Cl
35
17
Cl
Mass of
37
17
Cl
Mass of
= 75,4 x 35 = 2639 (mass of 75 atoms)
= 24,6 x 37 = 910,2 (mass of 25 atoms)
Total Mass of 100 Cl atoms: = 3549,2
RAM of Cl = 3549,2/100 = 35,492 amu
This is the average mass of a Cl atom as they occur
in nature (Cl only has 2 isotopes) compared to the
mass of 1/12 of the mass of an atom of the C-12
isotope.
In nature 75,4% is Cl-35 & 24,6% is Cl-37 so:
6
Relative atomic mass (RAM)
The RAM of an element is usually expressed to
the nearest whole number except for Cl & Cu.
C = 12 amu Na = 23 amu but Cl = 35.5 amu.

Write down the RAM for the following:

Mg K Li Ne H Pb

These numbers are obtained from the periodic
table
7
Relative molecular mass (M
r
)
This is the mass of 1 molecule of a covalent
substance relative to the mass of 1 atom of
carbon-12 isotope.
It has the symbol M
r
and the unit is also amu.
Find the relative molecular mass of water.
M
r
(H
2
O) = 2(1) + 16 = 18 amu
Find the relative molecular mass of carbon
dioxide.
M
r
(CO
2
) = 12 + 2(16) = 44 amu
Find the relative molecular masses for the
following: SO
3
H
2
S NH
3
NO
2
Name them?

8
Relative formula mass
This is the mass of a formula unit of an ionic
compound, calculated by adding relative atomic
masses (RAM) together in their ratios.
Find the relative formula mass of calcium nitrate
M
r
[Ca(NO
3
)
2
] = 40 +(2x14) +(6x16)
= 164 amu
i.e. Mass of one formula unit is 164 relative to C-12.
C-12 is the international standard used today & masses
of all other atoms, molecules etc are determined from
this particular isotope of C.
9
Relative molecular/formula mass
Now find the relative molecular/formula mass of
each of the following substances:
HCl, H
2
O, CO
2
, H
2
SO
4
, & K
2
Cr
2
O
7


Answers: 36,5 amu, 18 amu, 44 amu, 98 amu, &
294 amu respectively.
Ensure that you understand how each of these
values is obtained.
This simply means that the mass of a molecule of
HCl is 36,5 times as heavy as a nucleon (= 1 amu)
relative to the C-12 isotope etc.
10
Molar mass
The molar mass of a substance is the mass of 1
mole of the substance and it is expressed in
gmol
-1
.
It is determined by expressing the RAM in gram.
Relative molecular mass of water is 18 amu
Molar mass of water is 18 gmol
-1

This means that 1 mole of water has a mass of
18 g & contains 6,02 x 10
23
molecules of H
2
O.
Find the molar masses of the following:

NaCl H
2
SO
4
CuSO
4
Ca(OH)
2
Molar mass
11
Finding the number of moles
One mole of any substance is the relative atomic
mass or the relative formula mass expressed in
g.mol
-1
.
One mol of Na is 23 g.mol
-1
, while one mol of water
is 18 g.mol
-1

The number of moles is determined as follows:
n= m/M
r
Where

n = no. of moles, m = mass, M
r
= molar mass
How many moles are there in 40 g of carbon?
n = m/M
r
n = 40 g/ 12 g.mol
-1
= 3.33 mol of C.

12
The mole
Consider each of the following masses:
1 g H 16 g of O 35,5 g of Cl 36,5 g HCl 44 g CO
2

Each contain 1 mole of
atoms
Both contain 1 mole
of molecules
These are the relative
atomic masses expressed
in gram.
These are the relative
molecular masses
expressed in gram.
Each contain 6,02 x 10
23
particles either
atoms or molecules.
13
The mole
1 g of H contains 6,02 x 10
23
atoms or
1 g of H contains (6,02 x 10
23
) molecules
(Since H is diatomic: H
2
)
2 g of H contains 6,02 x 10
23
molecules or
2 g of H contains 2(6,02 x 10
23
) atoms
Find the following:
The number of molecules in 16 g of oxygen.
The number of molecules in 142 g of chlorine.
The number of atoms in 64 g of oxygen

14
Water of crystallisation
Some salts contain water that is trapped within
the crystal structure as the crystals were
originally formed.
This is called water of crystallisation.
Examples: CuSO
4
5H
2
O, MgSO
4
7H
2
O (Epsom
salts), (CaSO
4
)
2
2H
2
O (Plaster of Paris).
This means that there are 5 moles of water of
crystallisation per mole of CuSO
4
.
Heating blue CuSO
4
5H
2
O crystals will remove
the water of crystallisation as it changes to white
anhydrous CuSO
4
.
Heating copper sulphate
15
Determining composition of
substances
It is very useful in Chemistry to be able to
analyse substances & calculate masses &/or
volumes of reacting substances and the
products that are formed in chemical reactions.

This useful when producing fertilizers,
medicines, plastics and the production of many
other substances.

Here we need to consider how many moles are
reacting etc. 16
Percentage composition
We sometimes need to find the % of each
element present in a compound.

This is called the percentage composition of the
compound & indicates what % of each element is
present in that particular compound.

If a substance has water of crystallisation then
we find the % of water of crystallisation in the
compound.
% composition
17
Percentage composition
Find the percentage composition of potassium
chloride.
Write down formula & find
formula mass
KCl = 39 + 35,5
= 74,5 g.mol
-1
% K in KCl is:
X 100
39
74,5
= 52,3%
% Cl in KCl is:
35,5
74,5
X 100 = 47,7%
We can use this method to determine which
fertilizers to use and what % of each element they
should contain.
18
Empirical formula from %
If you know the percentages of the elements
present in a compound, you can determine its
formula.
If a certain compound contains 11,1% H and
88,9% O, find the formula of the compound.
Convert to gram thus:11,1 g of H + 88,9 g of O
No. of mole of H =
= 11,1 mole
11,1
1
No. of mole of O =
88,9
16
= 5,55 mole
Ratio of H : O is 11,1 : 5,55 i.e. 2: 1
Empirical formula of this compound is H
2
O
Empirical formula
19
Empirical & molecular formula
The empirical formula is determined from the %
composition of a substance & provides the
simplest ratio of the atoms in a molecule.

The molecular formula gives the actual number of
atoms in the molecule.

Molecular formula of a certain compound is C
2
H
4

but its empirical formula is CH
2
.

One is a ratio while the other is the actual number
of atoms in the molecule.
20
Solutions
Many solids dissolve in liquids to form solutions.

Solvent liquid doing the dissolving
Solute substance being dissolved

When water is the solvent we refer to aqueous
solutions and indicate with an (aq).

Salt in water could be written as: NaCl(aq) or as
Na
+
(aq) and Cl
-
(aq)

The more solute the higher the concentration.
NaCl in water
21
Concentration of solutions
The common way to express concentrations
of solutions is the number of moles of solute
per cubic decimetre:

Concentration = i.e. c =

Units are: c in moldm
-3
n in mol
V in dm
3

The concentration of a solution is called its
molarity expressed as: 3 moldm
-3

No. of moles
volume
n
V
Concentration
22
Standard solutions
These are solutions that have been made
up to be a specific concentration say
0.1 mol per dm
3
.
Calculate the mass
of solute required
to make up your
standard solution
and then add &
dissolve in water in
a measuring flask.
Making a standard solution
23
Molar gas volume
1 mole of any/every gas at STP occupies 22,4 dm3
& this is called the molar gas volume.
STP means standard temperature (00C or 273K) and
standard pressure (101,3 kPa) or 1 atmosphere
pressure.
This equation can be used to do calculations based
upon these relationships:
pV = nRT
24
Molar gas volume
1mole
H
2
1mole
NH
3
1mole
O
2
1mole
N
2
1mole
CH
4
22,4 dm
3
at STP.
1 mole of every gas
occupies 22,4 dm
3
at
STP.
This phenomenon
only applies to gases
not solids & liquids.
Avogadros hypothesis:
Equal volumes of gases under the same conditions of
temperature & pressure have equal numbers of
molecules i.e.
10 cm
3
of H
2
& O
2
have the same number of molecules at STP.
Molar gas volume
25
Mass-mass chemical reactions
Crucible
Gauze
Tripod
Bunsen
Mg ribbon
Find mass of crucible without Mg
With Mg
After reaction completed after
heating
2Mg + O
2
2MgO
2(24) of Mg reacts with (16)2 O
2
to form 2(24+16) MgO
48 g Mg + 32 g O
2
forms 80 g of MgO
2g Mg reacts with
2 x 32
48
g O
2
to form
2 X 80
48
g of MgO
2g Mg reacts with 1,33 g of O
2
to form 3,33 g of MgO
Relate these to the numbers you got.
Mg + oxygen
26
Mass-volume chemical reactions
If you are required to find the volume of a gas
formed, first find the number of moles of gas formed
& then use the equation pV = nRT to find the
volume of the gas.
2,4 g of Mg reacts completely to form MgCl
2
& H
2
. Find
the volume of the gas formed at 20
0
C & 100 kPa.
Mg + 2HCl MgCl
2
+ H
2

24 g of Mg forms 2 g of H
2
2,4 g of Mg forms 0.2 g of H
2
(0,1 mole)
Now use pV = nRT to find the volume of the gas.
Mass volume calculation
27
Mass-volume chemical reactions
pV = nRT
100 x 10
3
x V = 0,1 x 8,31 293
V = 0,00243 m
3
= 2,43 dm
3
If the gas is at STP then you can use molar gas volume
of 22,4 dm3 to find the volume of the gas.
If this problem had been at STP then:
1 mole of H
2
at STP occupies 22,4 dm
3
0,1 mole at STP occupies 0,1 x 22,4 = 2,24 dm
3
28
Information from Chemical equations
Mg
(s)
+ 2HCl
(aq)
MgCl
2(aq)
+ H
2(g)
+ energy
The above balanced equation tells us:
1 atom of Mg reacts with 2 molecules of HCl to form
1 molecule of MgCl
2
& 1 molecule of H
2
.
1 mole of solid Mg reacts with 2 mole of HCl in
solution (water), to produce 1 mole of MgCl
2
in
solution & 1 mole of H gas in proportion.
24 g of Mg reacts with 2(1 + 35,5) = 73 g of HCl to
form (24 + 71) = 95 g of MgCl
2
& 2 g of H
2
.
Stoichiometry is the study of the amounts of
substances that react in chemical reactions.
29
Stoichiometric calculations
These are calculations involving masses,
concentrations, volumes, moles etc relative
to chemical reactions in which reactants for
very definite products.

You need to do many such examples to
ensure that you are completely familiar with all
the different types of chemical calculations in
this section of work.

They are vitally important for G 10, 11 & 12!
30