Use a grammatically correct sentence to describe how the mass in amu of one molecule of a compound is related to the mass in grams of one mole of that compound.

Short Answer

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The mass of one molecule of a compound in atomic mass units (amu) is numerically equivalent to the mass in grams of one mole of that compound. This equivalence is due to the Avogadro's constant.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Relationship Between One Molecule and One Mole

To start with the problem, it's crucial to understand that one molecule of a substance is linked to the concept of one mole of that substance. The atomic mass unit (amu) is used to express the mass of one molecule, while the mass of one mole in grams corresponds to the molar mass. Their numerical values are, in fact, equivalent, but their units are different.
02

Understand Molar Mass and Molecular Mass

The molecular mass, the mass of a single molecule, is usually measured in atomic mass units (amu). The molar mass, on the other hand, is the mass of one mole of a substance, which contains approximately \(6.022 \times 10^{23}\) molecules or atoms of that substance.
03

Establish the Relationship

It is crucial to understand that the quantity of atoms given by one mole, the Avogadro's constant (\(6.022 × 10^{23}\)), links these two concepts. Therefore, the mass in grams of one mole of a compound is numerically equivalent to the mass in amu of one molecule of that compound.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Atomic Mass Unit (amu)
In chemistry, the atomic mass unit (amu) serves as a fundamental building block for understanding atomic and molecular masses. It's a unit of mass that is defined as one twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom, which is approximately equal to 1.66053906660 × 10−27 kilograms.
Every atom has its own unique mass, and these masses are often incredibly small. Hence, using the amu provides a convenient and standardized way to express these masses on a scale that is more manageable for calculations. Most importantly, the mass of an individual atom in amu also indirectly informs us about the number of protons and neutrons present in its nucleus, since each proton and neutron weighs roughly 1 amu.
Molecular Mass
Molecular mass, also referred to as molecular weight, is the sum of the atomic masses of all the atoms in a molecule, measured in atomic mass units (amu). To calculate it, you simply add up the masses of each atom present in the molecule.
Let’s take water (H2O) as an example. The molecular mass of water would be the sum of the masses of two hydrogen atoms (approximately 1 amu each) and one oxygen atom (approximately 16 amu), totaling about 18 amu for the whole molecule. Understanding the molecular mass is crucial for converting between moles and molecules, which is a fundamental concept in chemistry that deals with quantifying substances.
Avogadro's Constant
Avogadro's constant, named after the scientist Amedeo Avogadro, is one of the central pillars in the study of chemistry. It is the number of constituent particles, usually atoms or molecules, that are contained in one mole of a substance.
The value of Avogadro's constant is approximately 6.022 × 1023 per mole. This figure allows chemists to relate the microscopic world of atoms and molecules to the macroscopic world that we can measure, which is often in grams or kilograms. Whether working with atoms in a piece of metal or molecules in a gas, Avogadro's constant provides the bridge between these two scales and is essential for understanding stoichiometry and chemical reactions.
Moles and Molecules Relationship
The relationship between moles and molecules lies at the heart of chemical quantification. A mole is simply a unit of measurement that represents a very large number of particles, similar to how a dozen represents twelve items.
The intriguing part is that while a mole can contain any kind of particle, it always contains Avogadro's number of those particles. Therefore, one mole of any substance will contain approximately 6.022 × 1023 of its constituent particles, be they atoms in elements or molecules in compounds. This relationship allows chemists to calculate the mass of one mole of a substance (its molar mass) by using the molecular mass (in amu) of a single molecule. For instance, if a molecule has a molecular mass of 44 amu, one mole of that molecule would weigh 44 grams.

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