STOICHIOMETRY/CHEMICAL

CALCULATIONS
A single atom weighs hardly anything. For example, the mass of a single hydrogen atom is only
about 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 002 grams. Very small number like this is difficult to
weigh and to use in the calculations, so scientists had to find a simpler way to express the mass
of an atom. Firstly they chose a carbon atom to be the standard atom which has a fixed mass of
12 units (It has 6 protons and 6 neutrons). Then they compared all other atoms with this
standard atom using a machine called a mass spectrometer and found the values for their
masses, like this:

6 C12 12 Mg 24
1H 1

This magnesium atom is twice as This hydrogen atom is 1/12 as

This is the standard atom
heavy as the standard atom, so its heavy as the standard atom, so its
carbon. Its mass is exactly 12
mass must be 24. mass must be 1.

The mass of an atom found by comparing it with the 6C12 atom is called its relative atomic mass
or RAM (It also known as Ar.) So the Ar of Magnesium is 24 and Ar of hydrogen is 1.

If the substance is made up of molecule, its mass is known as relative molecular mass or RMM
( Mr.). So the Mr of hydrogen gas is 2 and Mr of water, H2O is 18. Some substances and their
masses are as follows:

Substance Formula Ar/Mr

Ammonia NH3 17
Sodium chloride NaCl 58.5
Magnesium oxide MgO 40
Methane CH4 16
Carbondioxide CO2 44
 MOLE
Mole: The amount of a substance which contains 6.02X1023 no. of particles of that substance is
equal to 1 mole.

The mole (symbol mol) is the unit by which we measure the quantity ‘amount of substance’.( In
the similar way, the kilogram is the unit by which we measure the quantity ‘mass’.)

This can also be defined as the relative atomic or Molecular mass expressed in grams.

e.g 23g of sodium makes 1 mole of it.

1 mole of water has a mass of 18 g

Explanation of Moles

There are many things measured in term of dozens, like

1 dozen of Banana =12 banana

1 dozen of Bangles =12 bangles, similarly atoms, molecules or ions (being very small) are
measured in terms of moles.

1 dozen has a fixed value = 12 &

1 mole has a fixed value = 6.02X1023 , so

1 mole of sodium atoms = 6.02X1023 atoms

1 mole of oxygen atoms = 6.02X1023 atoms

1 mole of oxygen molecules = 6.02X1023 molecules

Value of Mole was proposed by scientist Avogadro; now value 6.02X1023 is called Avogadro’s
constant. This is a huge number 602000000000000000000000 and humanly not possible to
count this much atoms or molecules. Scientists have design a formula to calculate Mole i.e.

mass
mole=
Ar / Mr
Q1 How many moles are there in 10g of sodium.

Mass= 10g

Ar of sodium =23

Mole = 10/23

Mole = 0.434 mol

Q2 How many moles of sodium chloride are there in 10 g of its sample.

Mr of sodium chloride, NaCl = 58.5

Mole = 10/58.5 = 0.17 mol

Q3 What is the mass of 23 moles of water?

Water Mr = 18

23 = mass/18

Mass = 23X18 =414g

Molar Mass: Mass of one mole of any substance. Its unit of measurement is g/mol.

Molar mass of sodium is 23

Molar mass of oxygen atom is 16

Molar mass of oxygen gas, O2 is 32

Molar mass of water is 18.

Molar Volume: Volume of one mole of any substance.

At room temperature and pressure (r.t.p) one mole of any gas occupy a volume of

24 dm3/24000 cm3

volume
mole=
molar volume
Q4. What volume of hydrogen gas is there in 0.5 moles of it.

volume
mole=
molar volume

0.5 = volume/24

Volume = 0.5 X 24

Volume = 12 dm3

Q5. How many moles are there in 500 dm3 of oxygen gas?

volume
mole=
molar volume

Moles = 500/24

Moles = 20.83 mol

Q6.How many moles are there in 500 cm3 of Chlorine gas?

volume
mole=
molar volume

Mole = 500 /24000

Mole0.020 mol
 1 MOLE of a substance

Contains 6.02X1023 for a gas, occupies 24 dm3

Particles has a mass equal to

the molar mass

Chemical formula / molecular formula: the formula which shows the exact ratio of atoms
chemically combines together.

e.g. The formula of water, H2O tells that :

2 hydrogen atoms combine with 1 oxygen atom. It follows that

2 mole of hydrogen atoms combine with 1 mole of oxygen atoms or

2g of hydrogen combine with 16g of oxygen. In the same way

1g of hydrogen combines with 8g of oxygen.

The masses of each substance taking part in the reaction are always in the same ratio.

Therefore, from the formula of a compound, you can tell:

 How many moles of the different atoms combine

 How many grams of the different elements combine.
 Empirical formula
Empirical formula: The formula which shows the simplest ratio of atoms chemically combines.
e.g. molecular of glucose is formula C6H12O6 .Its simplified formula is CH2O.

Finding the empirical formula:

1. Write down the mass of each element
2. Work out the no. of moles of each element
3. Find the simplest ratio(divide al values with the smallest number). This becomes the
subscript of atoms.
4. Write the formula showing the ratio of atoms

Q7. Find out the formula of a compound in which 2.3g of sodium reacts 8g of bromine.
Na Br
Mass 2.3 8
Ar 23 80
Moles 0.1 0.1
Ratio 1 1
Formula NaBr

Q8. What is the simplest formula of calcium carbonate if it contains 40% calcium, 12%
carbon and 48% oxygen?
Ca C O
Mass 40 12 48
Ar 40 12 16
Moles 1 1 3
Ratio 1 1 3
Formula CaCO3

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From the empirical formula, molecular formula can be calculated.

Molecular formula = ( empirical formula)n

Where ‘n’ = Mr/ empirical formula mass

Q9 A compound of sulfur and chlorine contained 52.6 % chlorine. Calculate its empirical
formula. It has a molecular mass of 135. Calculate its molecular formula.

S Cl

47.4 (100 – 52.6) 52.6

32 35.5

1.481 1.481

1 1

Formula SCl

Molecular formula = ( empirical formula)n

(SCl)n

n = 135/67.5 = 2

Molecular formula = (SCl)2 = S2Cl2

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Sometimes empirical formula can directly be questioned from given molecular or structural
formula.

e.g. H O H

H C C O ethanoic acid

This structural formula is C2H4O2 which can be simplified to its empirical formula CH2O

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%age yield & %age purity
 EQUATIONS & CALCULATIONS

An equation represents a chemical reaction/change. The starting materials used are

REACTANTS and resultant substances produced are called PRODUCTS.

REACTANTS PRODUCTS

E.g. When magnesium ribbon burns, magnesium oxide is produced.

2Mg + O2 2MgO

 Equation must be balanced as “matter can neither be created nor destroyed” mean
total no. of atoms on both the sides must be equal.
 In addition to the balancing state symbols should be mentioned i.e. s for solids, l for
liquid, g for gas and aq. For aqueous.

2Mg(s) + O2(g) 2MgO(s)

 Equation tells how many atoms, molecules are used or produced. It also tell what no. of
moles and mass of each substance take part.
C + O2 CO2
This equation tells us that:
 1 atom of carbon reacts with 1 molecule of oxygen to give 1 molecule of carbon
dioxide
 1 mole of carbon atoms reacts with 1 mole of oxygen molecules to give 1 mole of
carbon dioxide molecules
 12 g of carbon reacts with 32g of oxygen molecules to give 44 g of carbon
dioxide molecules. (see that mass and atoms on both the sides are equal.)
Rules for calculation using equations:
1. Write down a balanced chemical equation( preferably with state symbols)
2. Write down values with the UNITS (mass/volume/moles) of the substances mentioned
in the question [ given & unknown(put ‘x’ for this)]
3. Write down values of the substances form the equation with same units as in step 2.
4. Equate the values to find out the answer (don’t forget the unit).
Qs 1. Hydrogen burns in oxygen to form water. How much oxygen is needed to burn 1 g of
hydrogen? [ans 8g]
Qs 2. Iron is a grey metal. It reacts with sulfur to form black iron(II)sulfide. How much
iron(II)sulfide can be obtained by 7g of iron? [ans 11g]

Qs 3 Coal contains the impurity sulfur. When sulfur burns in air it forms sulfur dioxide. What
volume of this polluting gas is produced when 1g of sulfur burns? [ans 0.75 dm 3]
 Past paper Questions for MOLES
2004 QA2 (b) Potassium reacts with water as shown in the equation.

Describe what you would see when potassium reacts with water.

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(c) A sample of 0.195 g of potassium was added to 500 cm3

of cold water. When the reaction was finished, 100 cm3 of 0.100 mol/dm3 hydrochloric acid was
added to form
solution X.

(i) Calculate the number of moles of hydroxide ions formed when the potassium was
added to water.

(ii) Calculate the number of moles of hydrogen ions in 100 cm3

hydrochloric acid.

(iii) Give an ionic equation to represent the neutralisation reaction.

B9 c.
(c) Ethene can also be converted into a compound that contains carbon, hydrogen and

oxygen. A sample of the compound was analysed and found to contain 0.72 g of

carbon, 0.18 g of hydrogen and 0.96 g of oxygen.

Show that the empirical formula of the compound is CH3O. [3]

1 .A compound contains 4.07% hydrogen, 24.27% carbon and 71.65 chlorine.

Its molar mass is 98.96g. what are its empirical and molecular formulae?
2 Find out the empirical formula and molecular formula in organic compund
contain 62.07 % Carbon,10% Hydrogen, and 14% Nitrogen. The molecular
mass of compound is 114 gm/mole. Ans: C6H11NO

Q1. Hydrogen burns in oxygen to form water. What volume of oxygen is needed to burn 20
dm3 of hydrogen? []

2H2 + O2 ……….. 2H2O

20dm3: x
48 : 24