General Chemistry 1

Lesson 5

Chemical Stoichiometry: The Mole Concept

Objectives:
The learners shall be able to:
1. explain relative atomic mass and average atomic mass;
2. define a mole and illustrate Avogadro’s number with examples;
3. determine the molar mass of elements and compounds;
4. calculate the mass of a given number of moles of an element or compound or vice
versa;
5. calculate the mass of a given number of particles of an element or compound or vice
versa;
6. calculate the percent composition of a compound from its formula;
7. calculate the empirical formula from the percent composition of a compound;
8. calculate molecular formula given molar mass

Concept Map

Essential Questions
• How do you count the number of atoms, molecules, or formula units in chemistry?
• How do you determine the molar mass of an element and a compound?
• How do you calculate the percent composition of a compound?
• How do you calculate the empirical formula of a compound?
• How do you differentiate empirical formula from molecular formula of a compound?
Atomic Mass

You know that atoms of different elements have different masses. Thousands of
experiments led to the organization of a scale of relative atomic masses. The scale is based
on the mass of carbon-12. The mass of an atom relative to the mass of carbon-12 is the
atomic mass of the atom. The SI unit for atomic mass unit is amu.

Scientists compare all the other atoms with this standard atom using a mass
spectrometer (Figure 1 below) and found the values for their masses.

Figure 1: A mass spectrometer

On the scale, the atomic mass of hydrogen is 1.0079 amu, oxygen is 15.994 amu, and
sulfur is 32.06 amu. This means that the mass of oxygen atoms is about 16 times the mass
of hydrogen atoms, while sulfur atoms are nearly 32 times as heavy as hydrogen atoms.

Formula Mass and Molecular Mass

When the formula of a compound is given, you can find the mass of the compound.
Formula mass is used for ionic compounds like NaCl or for compounds that ionize in
aqueous solutions like H₂SO₄. The molecular mass is used for compounds that are
composed of molecules and covalent compounds like CO₂, and sucrose or table sugar,
C₁₂H22O11.

Formula mass is the sum of the atomic masses of each atom in a chemical formula.
To calculate the formula mass of H₂SO₄, refer to the periodic table for the atomic mass values
of each of the elements that constitute the compound and compute it as follows.

1.00 𝑎𝑚𝑢 32.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢 16.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢

𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑯𝟐 𝑺𝑶𝟒 = (2 𝐻 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑥 ) + (1 𝑆 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑥 ) + (4 𝑂 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑥 )
1 𝐻 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 1 𝑆 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 1 𝑂 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚

= 2.00 𝑎𝑚𝑢 + 32.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢 + 64.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢

= 𝟗𝟖. 𝟎 𝒂𝒎𝒖

Sample Problem:

Ascorbic acid, C6H8O6 (Vitamin C), cures scurvy and helps increase resistance to
common infections like cold. Calculate the molecular mass of this compound.

Solution:
 12.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢 1.00 𝑎𝑚𝑢 16.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢
𝑴𝒐𝒍. 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝟔 𝑯𝟖 𝑶𝟔 = (6 𝐶 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑥 ) + (8 𝐻 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑥 ) + (6 𝑂 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑥 )
1 𝐶 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 1 𝐻 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚 1 𝑂 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚

= 72.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢 + 8.00 𝑎𝑚𝑢 + 96.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢

= 𝟏𝟕𝟔. 𝟎 𝒂𝒎𝒖

Some compounds contain molecules of water that remain trapped in their crystal
structures. They are called hydrates or water of hydration. Hydrated copper (II) sulfate
with the formula CuSO4 · 5H₂O shows that five molecules of water are "attached" to the
molecule of copper (II) sulfate. Its formula mass is that of CuSO4 plus the sum of five attached
H₂O. Therefore, the total mass of CuSO4 · 5H₂O is 160 amu + 5(18 amu) = 250 amu. The
water molecule can be driven out of the crystal by heating to leave the anhydrous copper (II)
sulfate, CuSO4. Anhydrous means "without water." Several compounds exhibit this behavior
like sodium sulfate decahydrate, NaSO4 · 10H₂O, and cobalt (II) nitrate hexahydrate,
Co (NO3)2 · 6H2O.

The Mole and Avogadro’s Number

There are terms that indicate certain numbers such as dozen, ream, and century. Refer
to Table 1 for more examples.

Table 1: Some Number-Related Terms

Terms Numbers
1 dozen of eggs 12 eggs
1 case of cola 24 cans of cola
1 decade 10 years
1 century-old artifact 100-year-old artifact
1 gross pencil 144 pencils
1 ream of paper 500 pieces of paper
1 mole of atoms 6.022 x 1023 atoms
1 mole of molecules 6.022 x 1023 molecules

In chemistry, particles are counted by the mole (mol), a unit that contains 6.02 x 1023
particles. This very large number is called Avogadro's number, after Amedeo Avogadro
(1776-1856), an Italian physicist who contributed to the development of the concept of the
atomic nucleus. Avogadro’s number is used to indicated a very species thar make up matter
like atoms, ions, or molecules. It is also the number of atoms in 12g of 6𝐶 .
12
One mole of any
element always has Avogadro’s number of atoms.

In previous lesson, you learned that the symbols and subscripts in a formula tell the
number of atoms of each type of element.
Example:

The formula of calcium carbonate, CaCO3 known for its use as calcium supplement
indicates that one molecule of calcium carbonate is composed of the following:

1 formula unit of CaCO3, contains 1 atom of Ca, 1 atom of C, and 3 atoms of O.

In one mole of calcium carbonate, there are as many moles of each element as the
atom in a molecule of the compound. 1 mole of CaCO3, contains 1 mole of Ca 1 mole of C,
and 3 moles of O.

Sample Problem:

Give the number of moles for each element present in one mole of the following
compounds:

a) dental cement Zn3(PO4)2

b) sucrose C12H22O11
c) an explosive C3H5(NO3)3

Molar Mass

It is not possible to weigh a single atom or molecule. Even the most accurate balance
available cannot weigh very small masses. In the laboratory, you will use a balance that
measures in grams. When you weigh one mole of a substance, you would weigh its mass in
grams which is numerically equal to its mass in atomic mass unit. The mass in grams of one
mole of a substance is called its molar mass.

Example:

What is the molar mass of sucrose?

Solution: The molar mass is numerically equal to its molecular mass. However, the
units are different.

12. 0 𝑔 1. 00 𝑔 16. 0 𝑔
𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐶12 𝐻22 𝑂11 = (12 𝑥 ) + (22 𝑥 ) + (11 𝑥 )
1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐶 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐻 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑂

144 𝑔 22.0 𝑔 176.0 𝑔

= ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 ) + ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 ) + ( )
𝑚𝑜𝑙

342 𝑔
= 𝑚𝑜𝑙

Sample Problem:

Find the molar mass of each of the following compounds

a) Aspirin C9H8O4
b) A fertilizer, NH4NO3
Solution:

12. 0 𝑔 1. 00 𝑔 16. 0 𝑔
𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐶9 𝐻8 𝑂4 = (9 𝑥 ) + (8 𝑥 ) + (4 𝑥 )
1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐶 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐻 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑂

108 𝑔 8.00 𝑔 64.0 𝑔

= ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 ) + ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 ) + ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 )

180 𝑔
=
𝑚𝑜𝑙

14. 0 𝑔 1. 00 𝑔 16. 0 𝑔
𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝐻4 𝑁𝑂3 = (2 𝑥 ) + (4 𝑥 ) + (3 𝑥 )
1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐶 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐻 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑂

28.0 𝑔 4.00 𝑔 48.0 𝑔

= ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 ) + ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 ) + ( 𝑚𝑜𝑙 )

80.0 𝑔
= 𝑚𝑜𝑙

Calculation Using the Mole Concept

The molar mass, also called molecular mass, is the mass in grams of the mole of a
substance, this is,

𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔
𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 =
𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆

This equation or its reverse is used to relate the number of moles with the number of
grams of a substance. To determine the mass of given number of moles, use

𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔
𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒙 = 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔
𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆

To determine the number of moles, 𝒏 in a given mass ise

𝟏
𝑵𝒐. 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒙 = 𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆
𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔

𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆
𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒙 = 𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆, 𝒏
𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔

Table 2: Relationship Between Molar Mass, Number of Moles of the Component, and
Number of Particles in a Mole of Substance
Molar Number of Moles of Number of Particles in a
Substance
Mass Components Mole of Substance (NA)
Carbon, C 12 g/mol 1 mol of C atom 6.02 x 1023 C atoms
1 mol of H2O molecule 6.02 x 1023 H2O atoms
Water, H2O 18 g/mol 2 mol of H atoms 2(6.02 x 1023) H atoms
1 mol of O atoms 6.02 x 1023 O atoms
 1 mol of C6H12O6 molecule 6.02 x 1023 C6H12O6 atoms
Glucose, 6 mol of C atoms 6(6.02 x 1023) C atoms
180 g/mol
C6H12O6 12 mol of H atoms 12(6.02 x 1023) H atoms
6 mol of O atoms 6(6.02 x 1023) O atoms
1 mol of C9H8O4 molecule 6.02 x 1023 C9H8O4 atoms
Aspirin, 9 mol of C atoms 9(6.02 x 1023) C atoms
180 g/mol
C9H8O4 8 mol of H atoms 8(6.02 x 1023) H atoms
4 mol of O atoms 4(6.02 x 1023) O atoms

The definition of a mole in terms of Avogadro’s number, NA, gives the factors that are
reciprocals.

1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 6.02 𝑥 1023 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠

and
6.02 𝑥 1023 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠

These factors are used to obtain the number of moles and number of molecules as,

1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑥 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠
6.02 𝑥 1023 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠

6.02 𝑥 1023 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠

𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑥 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒
1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒

To summarize the relationships,

Sample Problems

1. Common table sugar sucrose C12H22O11 has a molar mass of 342 g/mol. What is the
mass of 0.15 mole sucrose?
2. Octane C8H18 is a substance in premium gasoline. How many moles are in 95.0 grams
of octane?
3. How many atoms are in a 344.75 g of gold nugget?
4. Cyclopropane, C3H6, is an anesthetic given by inhalation. Calculate the mass of 1.2 x
1024 molecules of C3H6.
5. If your signature written on pencil weighs 1.5 mg, assuming that the black stuff “lead”
is pure carbon, calculate the approximate number of atoms required to write your
signature.
Practice Exercises: Use dimensional analysis to solve each of the following problems.
1. How many moles of hydrochloric acid, HCl are present in a sample of HCl weighing
272.00 grams?
2. How many moles of water are there in a sample of cake containing 1.8 x 1024 molecules
of water, H2O?
3. How many oxygen atoms are there in 3.0 moles of carbon dioxide, CO2?
4. How many grams will 3.01 x 1024 formula units of sulfuric acid, H2SO4 weigh?

Percent Composition

When you get a score of 85% in a test, what does it mean? Percent indicates parts per
hundred. If there are 100 items in your test, 85% means you answered 85 items correctly.

In the laboratory, you may perform experiments that will require you to prepare
solutions or to verify the purity of some substances. If you are asked to prepare a 10% salt
solution, you dissolve 10 g of salt in 90 g of water to make a 100 g salt solution. Thus, you
need to know how to calculate the percent compositions of compounds.

The percent by mass of an element in a compound is obtained by using the equation,

𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕
% 𝒃𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅

Sample Problems:

1. Calculate the percent composition of ascorbic acid (C6H8O6). Assume 1 mole of sample.
2. 5.00 g of calcium (Ca) reacts completely with 10.00 g of sulfur (S). What is the percent
composition of the components of the calcium sulfide produced?

Practice Exercises

1. Sulfuric acid, H2SO4, is a common catalyst in several industrial processes. Calculate

the percent composition by mass of its components
2. Phosphoric acid, H3PO4, is a component of detergents. Find the percent composition
of its components.

Empirical and Molecular Formula

The empirical formula of a compound can be determined from the percentage

composition of the compound. The empirical or simplest formula gives the smallest whole-
number ratio of the elements in a formula. Using the mole, an empirical formula is the lowest
whole-number ratio of moles of atoms of the elements in the compound. An empirical formula
may or may not be the same as a molecular formula. For example, the simplest empirical
formula and molecular formula for water are both H 2O. However, for hydrogen peroxide they
are HO and H2O2 respectively.
 When the molecular formula is different from the empirical formula, it is some whole
number multiple of the empirical formula. Consider formaldehyde and glucose. They have
the same empirical formula, CH2O. The molecular mass of formaldehyde and glucose are 30
g/mol and 180 g/mol, respectively. Thus, the empirical formula is also the molecular formula
of formaldehyde, while the molecular formula of glucose is 6(CH 2O) The multiple 6 is obtained
by dividing the molecular mass of glucose (180 g/mol) by the given empirical mass (30
g/mol).

180 𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 6 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠
30 𝑔 /𝑚𝑜𝑙

Therefore, the molecular formula of glucose is C6H12O6.

Figure 1: Flowchart to calculate the empirical and molecular formulas of substance

from the percent composition

Sample Problems
1. What is the empirical formula of a compound that contains 27.27% carbon and
72.72% oxygen?
2. Vitamin C, a common vitamin for all because of its health benefits, has a molecular
mass of 16 g/mol. The composition is 40.9% C, 4.58% H, and 54.2% O, What are its
empirical formula and molecular formula?

Practice Exercises

1. Isopropyl alcohol, commonly known as rubbing alcohol, is composed of 59.96% C,

13.42% H, and 26.62% O. What is the molecular formula of the alcohol if the molecular
weight is 60 g/mol?
2. What is the molecular formula of a compound that is 81.2% boron and 18.8% hydrogen
and has a molar mass of 53.2 g/mol? This compound is one of a series of boron
hydrides, many of which are unstable and highly reactive, decomposing violently in
the presence of air and moisture. Some are used as rocket propellants.
3. Naphthalene, a common insect repellant, has a molecular weight of 130 g/mol.
Analysis shows that it contains 93.275% C and 6.25% H. What are its empirical and
molecular formulas?