J.C.H.S.

MOLE DAY

2007

What is Mole Day?

Celebrated annually on October 23 from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m., Mole Day commemorates Avogadro's Number (6.02 x 10^23), which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. Mole Day was created as a way to foster interest in chemistry. Schools throughout the United States and around the world celebrate Mole Day with various activities related to chemistry and/or moles.

For a given molecule, one mole is a mass (in grams) whose number is equal to the atomic mass of the molecule. For example, the water molecule has an atomic mass of 18, therefore one mole of water weighs 18 grams. An atom of neon has an atomic mass of 20, therefore one mole of neon weighs 20 grams. In general, one mole of any substance contains Avogadro's Number of molecules or atoms of that substance. This relationship was first discovered by Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1858) and he received credit for this after his death.

Ask Monty Mole

Monty Mole is an advice column which was begun in 1994 and has appeared in the foundation's newsletters and Idea Kits since that time.

Now to some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs).  

1.  Why is the term mole officially abbreviated mol and not something shorter?

     I can only offer you my best guess as to why mole is officially abbreviated mol.  Here it is.  Most scientific abbreviations (ever wonder why this word is so long) are 1, 2 or 3 letters long.  When possible, we try to use letters that are already in the full length word.  The lower case m is already used for both mass and molality. Since mo. already designates month and ml (or mL) is taken to mean milliliters it seemed reasonable to go the three letter designation mol which saves us either 1 letter (mole) or 2 letters (moles).  Also, capitalization of the m in mole doesn't work on two counts.  First, mole is not the name of a person and generally, capital letters are assigned only for units that commemorate a person. (I know, there are violations of that rule.)  Second, M already is used for molarity units or molar concentration units. 

2.  What is the origin of the chemical term mole?? Was it originated by Avogadro?

     First of all, Avogadro did not use the term mole.  Not only that, he did not come up with Avogadro's Number.  But his work did pave the way for the unit we call mole.  The term was probably first used by Wilhelm Ostwald around 1900.  The word is possibly derived from the latin molus which means little pile?.  Another source indicates the term mole may come from the German molekulargewicht. Some have even suggested that it is the fractionation of the word molecule.  All of this is fancy talk for I really don't know for sure.

3.  You call yourselves a member of the National Mole Day Foundation.  What, exactly, is a mole??

     A scientific mole is really a number.  You know that when somebody refers to a dozen cookies, that they mean twelve cookies.  A dozen means twelve.  In science, we use the term mole to represent 6.02 times 10 to the 23^rd power, which is a very large number.  It is often written at 6.02 x 10²³ or 6.02 x 10^23? or 6.02 E 23.  We use this number to count very small things like atoms and molecules.  A mole of water is 18 milliliters or about 9/14 of an ounce of water.  That is not very much when we look at it but it is a very large number of molecules of water.  It represents an amount of material that is large enough to see and usually small enough to hold. I hope this helps.

4.  I've seen the numerical part of Avogadro's number written as 6.02 or sometimes 6.022.    Since it represents a number of atoms or molecules, and assuming that it is a whole number with fractional remainder, what are the rest of the numbers (to the decimal point)?  Mathematicians give us p to more than a million decimal places.  Why don't we know Avogadro's number at least to the real decimal point?

      First of all, there is a big difference between pi and Avogadro's number.  Pi is determined from a mathematical function and appears to be a non-ending number. So far, it has been calculated out to 6 billion places. Avogadro's number on the other hand is ultimately the result of measurement or calculation based on measurement and that is where we have the problem.   Significant figures apply to measurements or values that are calculated from measurements. The best value I have found for Avogadro's number was in an article titled The Fundamental Physical Constants? from the August, 1997 Physics Today.  It give a value of 6.0221367 x 10²³ with a standard deviation uncertainty of 36 in the last two digits.  The relative uncertainty is reported as 0.59 ppm.

    Most of our values in science are measured and therefore subject to the limitations of measurement.  For example, if you were measuring the distance across a room, you would be doing well to measure accurately to the nearest millimeter.  That may be the best you could do.  You couldn't measure to the nearest nanometer with the tools you are likely to have access to.  The only values we have in science that are exact are defined values (like 1 meter is equal to 100 centimeters) and counting numbers (if you count carefully and accurately).  For example, if you count out 5 apples, you have exactly five apples and not a fraction over or under.  But if you measure a distance, you may get 2.431 meters but you don't know what the next decimal place is.  There is always a limit to your measurements.  I hope this helps.

5.  How is a mole represented? 

    If you mean the chemical mole, I am sure you can find representations of the amount that is a mole in your Chemistry text book.  If you want a representation of the National Mole Day Foundation mascot, Burrow D.  Mole, I suspect it can be found either in the newsletter or on our web site.  If you are looking for a representation of me, Monty Mole, I'm afraid you are out of luck.  I am so devastatingly handsome that I am required by law to prevent my image from appearing in print for fear of mass rioting.

6.  Why is the symbol n used for moles in equations such as PV = nRT?

    Most likely, the symbol n stands for number of moles.

Mole Breakfast

Once again our Mole Day Breakfast will be held at the Original House of Pancakes on Bloomfield Avenue in West Caldwell.

Breakfast will start at 6:02 AM with the Pledge to the Mole and other important Mole events.

1. Mole Day Posters around school.

Poster must help the average student at JCHS understand the enormity of the quantity we call a mole.

2. Mole Day Video presented in class.

Must be VHS format or bring all appropriate wiring.

Video presentation must follow the rules set forth in class and must be submitted by Weds. Oct 19th.

3. Mole-al-logies

Create a numerical equivalent to the mole such as the one discussed in class. ( like the Mole Lottery).

Remember to use a unit that is very small or the concept will be lost.

MOLE PROJECTS

MOLE-AL-LOGIES

X-TRA CREDIT