Measurements and Moles

Units – Metric System  SI Units ‘System International d’ Units’

- have single ‘base unit’ used for each measured quantity:

Quantity SI unit
Lengths meter, m
Mass kilogram, Kg
Time seconds, s
Volume cubic meter, m3; liter, L = 1000 cm3
Temperature Kelvin, K
Pressure Pascal, Pa
Energy Joule, J

Measurement is reported as numerical multiple of base unit, often use prefixes,

powers of 10:

Prefix Name Meaning

G giga 109
M mega 106
K kilo 103
d deci 10-1
c centi 10-2
m milli 10-3
 micro 10-6
n nano 10-9
p pico 10-12

1 centimeter, 1cm = 10-2 (1m) = 10-2 m

1 kilogram , 1 Kg = 103 g

Derived Units – Units built up from base units;

-units are multiplied or divided like number.

Volume – m3  1m (length) x 1m (width) x 1 m (height) = 1 m3

L = 103 cm3 ( 1 dm3)
1 millimeter, 1 mL = 1 cm3 = 1cc

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Unit conversions – different units for same quantity.

Information required = information given x conversion factors

Length, 1 in = 2.54 cm,

Example:
Convert 2.00 inches to cm

Example: Convert 256 cm2 to m2; squared/multiple conversion factors.

Example:

Convert 1.5 Km.s-1 to Km.h-1; write unit as fraction.

Example:
Convert 13.6 g.cm-3 into Kg.m-3; several conversion factors:

Or

Temperature – C, F, K scales
Celsius, Fahrenheit, Kelvin

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Temp 0F = 9/5 temp C + 320F
Temp 0C = 5/9(0F – 32 0F)

Kelvin scale – Absolute zero = theoretically lowest possible temperature,

calculated to be -273.15 0C

0 K taken as absolute zero, without “0” symbol, degrees

Temp in K = temp in C + 273.15

Temp in 0C = temp in K – 273.15 0C

Uncertainty of Physical Measurements: Significant Figures

Significant figures – all measured values have degree of uncertainty/error

dependent on measuring device (and the individual). Degree of confidence in
measurement is expressed in number of significant figures reported.

Reporting 1.2 cm means value between 1.15 – 1.25 cm

Reporting 1.24 cm means value between 1.235 – 1.245 cm

- error/uncertainty of ±½ in last digit reported.

Counting Significant Figures (sf)

1. All nonzero digits are significant

5.37 cm has 3 sf, 4.614 has 4 sf

2. Zeros between nonzero digits are significant.

1.002 g has 4 sf

3. Zeros beyond (to the right of ) the decimal point at end of the number are
significant.

8.00 mL has 3 sf.

4. Zeros preceding the first nonzero digit in a number are not significant.
These are placeholders for decimal point; number should be re-written in
scientific notation.

Decimal notation Scientific Notation sf

0.751 7.51 x 10-1 3

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0.00751 7.51 x 10-3 3
0.750100 7.70100 x 10-1 6
7501 7.501 x 103 4
7500 7.5 x 103, 7.50 x 103, 2, 3, 4
7.500 x 103 ambiguous

Significant Figures in Calculations

A. Rounding off calculated numbers.

i. Round up if last digit is above 5; 14.36  14.4

ii. Round down if last digit us below 5; 14.34  14.3

Rounding is done only once, at final stage of calculation, not stepwise:

14.348 rounded to 3 sf is 14.348  14.3
NOT 14.348  15.35  14.4

B. Rules for addition/subtraction

The number of decimal places in the result should be the same as that
smallest number of decimal places in the data;

11.14 cm3 + 1.2 cm3 + 4.107 cm3 = 16.447 cm3 = 16.4 cm3
25.0 cm3 – 0.04 cm3 = 25.0 cm3

C. Rules for multiplication/division

The number of significant figures in the result should be he same as the

smallest number of significant figures in the data:

362 m x 29.725 m = 10760.45 m2

3 sf 5 sf = 1.076045 x 104 m2  1.08 x 104 m2

D. Integers and exact numbers:

Exact numbers – counted integers, numbers in definition or some

conversion units:
One m is exactly 100 cm by definition
One inch is exactly 2.54 cm by definition
But 1 Kg ≈ 2.2 lb

When using exact numbers in calculations, the number of significant

figures in the answer is determined by the measured values

Example:

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Convert 536 cm3 to L

Chemical Amounts

The mole (mol) ≡ number of atoms in exactly twelve g carbon-12

I mole particles (atoms, ions, molecules, electrons) = 6.022 x 1023 particles

Avagadro constant, Avagadro’s number, NA

NA = 6.022 x 1023 particles

Number of particles = (number of moles) x NA

1 mmol = 10-3 mol

Example:
Express 1.29 x 1024 H atoms as mol H atoms.

Need to specify species/particles: mol H atoms, mol H2 molecules etc.

Molar Mass

Molar mass for element = mass of 1 mol atoms = atomic weight in g;

Molar mass for molecular compound = mass of 1 mol molecules = molecular

weight in g;

Molar mass for ionic compound = mass of 1 mol formula units = formula weight in
g;

If a F atom weighs 3.155 x 10-23 g. calculate molar mass of F atoms:

Molar mass = (3.155 x 10-23 g/atom) 6.022 x 1023 atom/mol

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 = 19.00 g/mol (This is atomic weight of F in P.T)

Example:
Calculate mol F in 22.5 g fluorine

Average (atomic) molar mass = Atomic weight

Naturally occurring elemets are mixtures of isotopes, having different masses

Natural abundance = percentage of atoms of given isotope present in sample of

the element

“weighted average” all isotopes

Example:

Magnesium has the naturally occurring isotopes:

Mg-24, 78.99% abundant, 3.983 x 10-23 g/atom
Mg-25, 10.00% abundant, 4.149 x 10-23 g/atom
Mg-26, 4.315 x 10-23 g/atom.

Calculate the average mass of Mg atoms and a mole of Mg atoms

% abundance of Mg-26 = 100.00% - 78.99% - 10.00% = 11.01%

= 3.146 x 10-23 + 0.4149 x 10-23 + 0.4751 x 10-23

= 4.036 x 10-23 g/atom

Molar mass of element, mass per mole of atoms, is used to interconvert mass
and number of moles:

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Mass of sample (g) = (number of moles) x (average molar mass)

Example:
Calculate mass of Cu corresponding to 10.0 moles.

Atomic weight (P.T) of Cu is 63.54

Mass of Cu = (63.54 g/mol) 10.0 mol = 635 g

Example:
Calculate number of moles Cl atoms in 15.0 g chlorine.
Atomic weight Cl = 35.453 (P.T)

Molar mass for compounds:

Molar mass for compounds is sum of molar masses (atomic weights) for
atoms/elements in the formulas:

NaCl: at. wt. Na + at. wt Cl = 22.99 + 35.45 = 58.44

58.44 g/mol

K2SO4: 2(at. wt. , K) + at wt. S + 4 (at. wt. O)

= 2(39.10) + 32.06 + 4(16.00) = 174.26 g/mol

Calculate mass of 6.3 mol Al2O3

MM = 2 Al + 3O = 2(26.98) + 3(16.00) = 101.96 g/mol

Mass = (6.3 mol) (101.96 g/mol) = 642 g = 0.64 Kg

Determining Chemical Formulas:

Empirical formula – chemical formula expressing ratios of number of different

elements as smallest whole numbers.

- glucose has C:H:O raio of 1:2:1, empirical formula = CH2O

Molecular formula – chemical formula showing actual numbers of atoms in

formula = true formula

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 - glucose is C6H12O6, multiple of empirical formula: (CH2O)6

Determining mass percentage composition

- mass of each element as percentage of total mass of sample or of total

molar mass.

Determination of Empirical Formula

a. calculate moles each element in 100 g sample

b. determine simplest, whole-number mole ratio of element

i. Divide number of moles by smallest number

ii. If necessary, multiply each number by factor giving all whole
numbers

Example:

Pyrohosphoric acid: 2.26% H, 34.81% P, 62.93% O

Assume 100 g sample; moles mass/molar mass

H : P : O = 2.24 : 1.124 : 3.933 divide by 1.124

H : P : O = 1.99 : 1 : 3.499 = 2: 1 : 3.5 multiply by 2

H : P : O = 4 : 2: 7  H4P2O7

Determination of Molecular Formula

Molecular formula is a multiple of empirical formula; calculate factor by ratios of

measured molar mass divided by empirical formula weight.

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Example:

Vitamin C has empirical formula C3H4O3 from percentage composition (elemental

analysis), and from other measurements the molar mass (molecular weight) is
approximately 180 g/mol. Determine the molecular formula.

C3H4O3: 3(12.0) + 4(1.01) + 3(16.0) = 88.0 g/mol

Molecular formula = (C3H4O3)2 = C6H8O6

Solutions – concentration units

Molarity, M moles solute per liter of solution, molL-1

(Volume of solution  volume of solvent)

M is molL-1 or mmol/mL

1M NaCl(aq) means 1 mol (58.44 g) NaCl dissolved in 1L water

If 12.10 g NaCl is dissolved in water to 250.0 mL volume (using a volumetric

flask), calculate molarity of NaCl(aq) solution.

Molar mass of NaCl = 22.99 + 35.45 = 58.44 g/mol

Mol solute in given volume solution : n = M x V

Calculate mol sucrose in 15 mL of 0.10 M C12H22O11(aq) solution

n = (0.10 mol/L)(15 x10-3 L) = 1.5 x 10-3 mol

Volume solution containing given mol solute, V = n/M

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Calculate volume of 0.0380 M KMnO4(aq) containing 0.760 mmol KMnO4

Prepare solution of given molarity; calculate mass = n x MM

Prepare 250 mL of 0.0380 M KMnO4(aq).

Molar mass: 39.10 + 54.94 + 4(16.00) = 158.04 g/mol

Mass = molar mass x n = MM x M x volume

Mass = (158.04 g/mol)(0.0380 mol/L)(0.250L) = 1.50 g

- dissolve 1.50 g KMnO4 (s) in total volume of 250 mL

Dilution: Converting more concentrated solution to more dilute solution by adding

more solvent.

Mol solute before = mol solute after, ni = nf

MiVi = MfVf (i = initial (1); f= final (2) )

Calculate vol of 0.0380 M KMnO4(aq) needed to prepare 250 mL of 1.50 x 10-3 M

KMnO4(aq)

Thus 9.87 mL of initial solution (from burette) must be diluted to 250 mL total
volume by adding water (in volumetric flask).

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