Atoms and Molecules


   
 
Molecular Mass and Mole Concept
Molecular Mass
The molecular mass of a substance is the relative mass of its molecule as compared with the mass of a 12C atom taken as 12-units. It indicates the number of times; one molecule of the substance is heavier than atom.
 
Calculation of Molecular Mass
Molecular mass is equal to sum of the atomic masses of all atoms present in one molecule of the substance.
Example: H2O
Mass of H atom = 1
Mass of 2H atoms = 2
Mass of O atom = 16
Molecular mass = 2 + 16 = 18g
 
Relative Molecular Mass
Relative molecular mass or RMM is the molecular weight of an element or a compound. It is the number of times one molecule of the substance is heavier than 1/12 the mass of an atom of carbon (12C).
 
 
 
Gram Molecular Mass
Molecular mass expressed in grams is numerically equal to gram molecular mass of the substance.
Molecular mass of O2 = 32
Gram molecular mass of O2 = 32g
Gram molecular mass is the relative molecular mass expressed in grams.
Note that relative atomic mass is a ratio and has no units while gram molecular mass and gram atomic mass are expressed in grams.
 
Mole Concept
Since it is not possible to calculate the weight of particles individually, a collection of such particles called mole is taken for all practical purposes. It was discovered that the number of atoms present in 12g of carbon of 12C isotope is 6.023 x 1023 atoms. This is referred to as Avogadro number after the discoverer Avogadro. A mole of a gas is the amount of a substance containing 6.023 x 1023 particles. It is a basic unit of the amount or quantity of a substance. The substance may be atoms, molecules, ions or group of ions.
 
Avogadro discovered that under standard conditions of temperature and pressure, (1 atm and 273 K) a sample of gas occupies a volume of 22.4 L.
 
 
Molar Volume
One mole of any gas at STP will have a volume of 22.4 L. This is called molar volume.
 
 
The molar volume [22.4 L at STP] plays a vital role in stoichiometric calculations because it is the link between volume and mass in reactions involving gases.
 
Relationship Between Gram Molecular Weight and Gram Molecular Volume
Gram molecular weight (GMW) or mole is the relative molecular mass of a substance expressed in grams. It is also called gram molecular weight of that element.
 
Gram molecular volume (GMV) or molar volume is the volume occupied by one-gram molecular weight of a gas at STP (Standard temperature and pressure).
 
All gases of equal volumes contain same number of molecules under the same conditions of temperature and pressure. Equal number of molecules of different gases will occupy equal volumes under the same conditions of temperature and pressure.
 
One mole of gas = 6.023 x 1023 molecules
 
1 mole of a gas = 22.4 L at STP
 
 
     
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