Chapter 8: Chemical Composition Flashcards
(34 cards)
atomic mass unit (amu)
A small unit of mass equal to 1.66 x 1024 grams.
average atomic mass
Average atomic mass = Σ (mass of isotope × relative abundance)
Ex: Average atomic mass of copper
= (62.93 amu × 0.6909) + (64.94 amu × 0.3091) = 63.55
Calculating mass using atomic mass units
To solve this problem, use the average mass of the atom to set up an equivalence statement.
Ex: Calculate the mass, in amu, of a sample of aluminum that contains 75 atoms.
Equivalence statement:
1 Al atom = 26.98 amu
Conversion factor:
75 Al atoms x (26.98 amu/1 Al atom) = 2024 amu
Calculating the number of atoms from the mass
To solve this problem, use the average atomic mass of the substance.
Ex: Calculate the number of sodium atoms present in a sample that has a mass of 1172.49 amu.
Equivalence statement:
1 Na atom = 22.99 amu
Conversion factor:
1172.49 amu x (1 Na atom/22.99 amu) = 51.00 Na atoms
The Mole
The mole (mol) can be defined as the number equal to the number of carbon atoms in exactly 12.01 grams of pure 12C. Techniques for counting atoms very precisely have been used to determine this number to be
6.022 x 1023
(This number is called Avogadro’s number.)
One mole of something consists of 6.022 x 1023 units of that substance.
(In other words, one mole of anything is 6.022 x 1023 units of that substance.)
Avogadro’s Number
6.022 x 1023
aka the mole (mol)
A sample of any element that weighs ________________ to the _______________ of that element contains _______________ of that element.
A sample of any element that weighs a number of grams equal to the average atomic mass of that element contains 6.022 x 1023 atoms (1 mole) of that element.
A sample of an element with a mass ____________________ contains 1 mole of atoms.
A sample of an element with a mass equal to that element’s average atomic mass expressed in grams contains 1 mole of atoms.
Calculating moles and number of atoms
Ex: Compute both the number of moles of atoms and the number of atoms in a 10.0-g sample of aluminum.
10.0 g Al ⇒ ? moles of Al atoms ⇒ number of Al atoms
- Calculate the number of moles of aluminum atoms in a 10.0 g by using the equivalence statement:
1 mol Al = 26.98 g Al
to construct the appropriate conversion factor:
10.0 g Al x (1 mol Al/26.98 g Al) = 0.371 mol Al - Next, convert from moles of atoms to the number of atoms, using the equivalence statment:
6.022 x 1023 Al atoms = 1 mol Al atoms
to construct the appropriate conversion factor:
0.371 mol Al x (6.022 x 1023 Al atoms/1 mol Al) = 2.23 x 1023 Al atoms
Molar Mass
The molar mass of any substance is the mass (in grams) of 1 mole of the substance. The molar mass is obtained by summin gthe masses of the component atoms.
Calculating molar mass
Ex: Calculate the molar mass of sulfur dioxide, a gas produced when sulfur-containing fuels are burned.
Givens:
- The formula for sulfur dioxide is SO2
- 1 mole of SO2 molecules contains 1 mole of sulfur atoms and 2 moles of oxygen atoms:
1 mol SO2 = 1 mol S + 2 mol O - Atomic masses of sulfur and oxygen:
sulfur (32.07 g/mol), oxygen (16.00 g/mol)
Calculate:
Mass of 1 mol S = 1 x 32.07 g = 32.07 g
Mass of 2 mol O = 2 x 16.00 g = 32.00 g
Mass of 1 mol SO2 = 64.07 g = molar mass
Answer:
The molar mass of SO2 is 64.07 g. It represents the mass of 1 mole of SO2 molecules.
Formula Weight
A term sometimes used instead of molar mass for ionic compounds.
Calculating mass from moles
Ex:
1) Calculate the molar mass of calcium carbonate.
2) A certain sample of calcium carbonate contains 4.86 moles. What is the mass in grams of this sample?
calcium carbonate = CaCO3
1 mole of CaCO3 contains 1 mole of Ca, 1 mole of C, and 3 moles of O
Atomic masses:
calcium (40.08 g/mol)
carbon (12.01 g/mol)
oxygen (16.00 g/mol)
- Calculate the molar mass of CaCO3:
mass of 1 mol Ca2+ = 1 x 40.08 g = 40.08 g
mass of 1 mol CO32- (contains 1 mol C and 3 mol O)
1 mol C = 1 x 12.01 g = 12.01 g
3 mol O = 3 x 16.00 g = 48.00 g
mass of 1 mol CaCO3 = 100.09 g = molar mass
2. Calculate the mass of 4.86 moles of CaCO3:
4.86 mol CaCO3 x (100.09 g CaCO3/1 mol CaCO3) = 486 g CaCO3
4.86 mol CaCO3 x conversion factor ⇒ 486 g CaCO3

Calculating moles from mass

Calculating number of molecules
Ex:
Isopentyl acetate, C7H14O2, the compound responsibile for the scent of bananas, can be produced commercially. Interestingly, bees release about 1 𝜇g (1 x 10-6 g) of this compound when they sting. How many moles and how many molecules of isopentyl acetate are released in a typical bee sting?
isopentyl acetate = C7H14O2
atomic masses:
carbon (12.01 g/mol)
hydrogen (1.008 g/mol)
oxygen (16.00 g/mol)
mass of C7H14O2 = 1 x 10-6 g
6.022 x 1023 molecules in 1 mole
- First compute the molar mass:
7 mol C x 12.01 g/mol = 84.07 g C
14 mol H x 1.008 g/mol = 14.11 g H
2 mol O x 16.00 g/mol = 32.00 g O
Molar mass = 130.18 g
This means that 1 mole of isopentyl acetate (6.022 x 1023 molecules) has a mass of 130.18 g.
2. Determine the number of moles of isopentyl acetate in 1 𝜇g, which is 1 x 10-6 g:
Equivalence statement:
1 mol isopentyl acetate = 130.18 g isopentyl acetate
Conversion factor:
1 x 10-6 g C7H14O2 x (1 mol C7H14O2/130.18 g C7H14O2)
= 8 x 10-9 mol C7H14O2
3. Determine the number of molecules:
Equivalence statement:
1 mol = 6.022 x 1023 units
Conversion factor:
8 x 10-9 mol C7H14O2 x (6.022 x 1023 molecules/1 mol C7H14O2)
= 5 x 1015 molecules

Formula for Ethanol
C2H5OH
(NOT the expected formula C2H6O)
Mass Percent
The percent by mass of a component of a mixture or of a given element in a compound.
Can be computed by comparing the mass of an element in 1 mole of the compound with the total mass of 1 mole of the compound, then multiplying the result by 100%.
Mass Percent = mass fraction x 100%
(Sometimes called the weight percent.)
Mass Fraction
Mass fraction for a given element
=
mass of the element present in 1 mole of compound
mass of 1 mole of compound
Empirical Formula
The empirical formula of a compound is the simplest whole-number ratio of the atoms present in the compound.

The empirical formula can be found from _________________.
The empirical formula can be found from the percent composition of the compound.
Molecular Formula
The molecular formula is the exact formula of the molecules present in a substance. It is always a whole-number multiple of the empirical formula.
To calculate the empirical formula of a compound, we first determine ________________ of the various elements that are present.
To calculate the empirical formula of a compound, we first determine the relative masses of the various elements that are present.
Steps for Determining the Empirical Formula of a Compound
- Obtain the mass of each element present (in grams).
- Determine the number of moles of each type of atom present.
- Divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles (from step 2) to convert the smallest number to 1. If all of the numbers so obtained are integers, these are the subscripts in the empirical formula. If one or more of these numbers are not integers, go on to step 4.
- Multiply the numbers derived in step 3 by the smallest integer that will convert all of them to whole numbers. This set of whole numbers represents the subscripts in the empirical formula.

Calculating Empirical Formulas from Percent Composition
Percent by mass for a given element means the grams of that element in 100 g of the compound.

