Reason For Learning
Atoms are extremely tiny. The air in front of you is full of oxygen and nitrogen molecules but you cannot even see them. We know a lot about atoms and molecules - knowledge that is invaluable when we come to explaining the properties of substances.
The scale of atomic size means that chemists never deal with them one at a time. What we need is a way to count them into groups that represent a convenient size for us to experiment with. In Chemistry, the mole concept helps us do this counting of atoms and molecules.
Learning Intention
In completing this learning bite you will:
examine the mole concept, learn about Avogadro's number and it's relationship to the mole, learn the difference between empirical and molecular formulas. You will also be able to work out the percentage composition of a compound.
Key Vocabulary Terms