Phrases you might overhear from high school chemistry are “molar mass” or “How many atoms in a mole of water?” To non-chemists, these ideas might need clarification.<\/p>\n
A mole is 6.02 x 1023<\/sup> particles. The number 6.02 x 1023<\/sup> is known as Avogadro’s number, in honor of the chemist who focused on the numbers of molecules that react during chemical processes between gases. Some people just call 6.02×1023<\/sup> the molar number.<\/p>\n In practical terms, Avogadro’s number is the number of atoms that, for each element, yields the mass in grams that you see on the periodic table. The masses are the decimal numbers. For instance, if you look at carbon, you’ll see its mass is 12.0. This means that the mass of one mole of carbon atoms – aka, its molar mass – is 12.0 grams. One mole of carbon atoms is, of course, 6.02×1023<\/sup> atoms of carbon.<\/p>\n One mole of water – which is, of course, H2<\/sub>O – contains two moles of hydrogen (H) and one of oxygen (O). The total atom count is 3 moles, or 3(6.02×1023<\/sup>) = 1.81×1024<\/sup> atoms.<\/p>\n In our everyday life, we have our convenient quantities of things – a dozen, for instance. Chemists have their own convenient numbers, one of which is 6.02×1023<\/sup>, the molar number. It’s an inescapable concept for high school chemistry students:)<\/p>\n Source: Mortimer, Charles E. Chemistry<\/span>. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1986.<\/em><\/p>\n