Category: Chemistry

Determining the Masses of Reactants and Products of a Chemical Reaction (without Conversion Factors)

1st Mar 2019

This is the first part in a series of tutorials on stoichiometry. Stoichiometry is the area of chemistry that involves determining the masses (in grams) and amounts (in moles) of reactants and products of a chemical reaction using a balanced chemical equation.

This tutorial will involve determining the masses in grams of reactants and products of a chemical reaction. This can be done via two methods: one involving cancelling units not needed for an answer with conversion factors and one that doesn’t involve this additional step. … More Determining the Masses of Reactants and Products of a Chemical Reaction (without Conversion Factors)

Converting Between Particles and Moles Using Avogadro’s Number and Conversion Factors

9th Feb 2019

In the last tutorial, we explored how the mole is used as a unit of measurement of amount in chemistry and how we calculate the amount of a substance in moles. We discussed how a particular number known as Avogadro’s number is involved with the mole. We also covered how the mole relates to mass and how the mole can be used to calculate the mass of a substance.

In this tutorial, we are going to see how Avogadro’s number can be used once again as an effective tool; this time we’ll see how it can be used to convert between a measurement of the amount of a substance in particles – including atoms, molecules and formula units – to a measurement of amount in moles and vice-versa. … More Converting Between Particles and Moles Using Avogadro’s Number and Conversion Factors

More Calculations of Moles using Mass and of Mass using Moles (with Molar Mass and Conversion Factors)

28th Jan 2019

Hey everyone, this is just an extra part of the previous tutorial in which we covered the mole and how we can calculate the mass of a sample of a substance using the amount in moles and vice-versa.

In this extra portion, I’m going to run through some more calculations, only this time we are only going to use molar mass as a variable and introduce an additional step involving conversion factors. … More More Calculations of Moles using Mass and of Mass using Moles (with Molar Mass and Conversion Factors)

Moles, Mass and Avogadro’s Constant

5th Jan 2019

When I studied chemistry in college I used to go home and talk to my grandfather (who’s an engineer) about what I had learned that day. However, when it came to the mole, I found myself pausing mid- sentence to mentally check to see if every detail was correct; this was because it seemed like whenever I thought I remembered everything about this deceptively tricky topic – there was a minute detail that could prove costly if omitted or misunderstood in an exam.

So, in this post I’m going to be running through what the mole is; why we use it as a measurement; how to calculate the amount of a substance in moles and how it relates to mass – plus the number known as Avogadro’s number. … More Moles, Mass and Avogadro’s Constant