Mole Concept: 1.008g H & 12g C = Avogadro's # Atoms

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the mole concept in chemistry, specifically focusing on the masses of hydrogen and carbon that correspond to one mole of atoms. Participants explore the implications of these masses in relation to Avogadro's number and the density or heaviness of the elements involved.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether 1.008 g of hydrogen and 12 g of carbon both contain Avogadro's number of atoms and how this relates to their densities.
  • Another participant explains that a mole is simply a quantity, similar to a dozen, and that the weight difference arises because carbon atoms are heavier than hydrogen atoms.
  • A third participant provides a precise definition of Avogadro's number and its relation to atomic mass units, indicating that 1 g corresponds to 6.02 x 1023 atomic mass units.
  • One participant reiterates the question about density, suggesting that the mass required for a mole of hydrogen versus carbon might imply differences in density or heaviness.
  • A later reply clarifies that the relationship between mass and the number of atoms is due to the atomic mass of the elements rather than density.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the definition of a mole and its relation to atomic mass but express differing views on the implications of the mass differences between hydrogen and carbon, particularly regarding density and heaviness.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about atomic mass and does not resolve the implications of density versus atomic mass in the context of the mole concept.

cooper607
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i need to get the hang of the mole concept that , 1.008 g of hydrogen constitutes 1 mole atom, whereas 12g of carbon constitute that 1 mole atom! does it mean that these amounts for H & C contains the Avogadro number of atoms??
does it imply the hydrogen is more denser (or heavier or something crucial) than the carbon as it needs to be only 1 gm of it to be 1 mole?? why does this difference in mole amount (of grams ) happen??
 
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A mole is just a number of things, like a dozen. A mole of carbon atoms weighs more than a mole of hydrogen atoms because each carbon atom weighs more than each hydrogen atom. Just like a dozen bowling balls weighs more than a dozen ping-pong balls.
 
welcome to pf!

hi cooper607! welcome to pf! :smile:
phyzguy said:
A mole is just a number of things, like a dozen.

… to be precise (almost), 6.022142 1023 things :wink:

(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(unit ))

if you go into the garden and find 602,214,200,000,000,000,000,000 moles, that's a mole of moles! :biggrin:
 
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Why is NA, the Avogadro number, chosen to be 6.02\times10^{23} (to 3 sf)?

Because this number is the number of atomic mass units (u) in 1 gram.

That is 1 \text{g} = 6.02\times10^{23} \text{u} = N_A \text{u}

So, because the mass of a C12 atom is 12 u, the mass of a mole of them (Avogadro's number of them) will be N_A \times 12 \text{u} = 12 \times N_A \text{u} = 12 \text{g}.

[Note:in the SI, the Avogadro constant is defined to be a quantity with units, namely
Avogadro constant = 6.02\times10^{23} \text{mol}^{-1}.]
 
cooper607 said:
does it imply the hydrogen is more denser (or heavier or something crucial) than the carbon as it needs to be only 1 gm of it to be 1 mole??

No, the only thing it is related to is the mass of a single atom (molecule). Light atom (molecule) - low molar mass, heavy atom (molecule) - large molar mass.
 

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