My question I guess is, what do your standards require the students to do? If conceptual understanding is the key you might consider reasearching the lecture demonstration model of physics education. Marietta College in Ohio isa big proponent of this method and it has shown to be effective in...
This is all dimensional analysis stuff and is taught in chapter one in any physics book. Mol is just a unit of measurement like a dozen. Except 1 mol = 6x10/\23 particles
In general chem it is explained that n=5 is "further" out from the nucleus. This is generally true until the d and f orbitalscare discussed. These orbital are "further" from the nucleus than n=6s. In physical chem the quantum mechanical model takes over and these distinctions are somewhat...