Molecule Chemistry Example 3

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Example 3

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How many atoms are in one molecule of C6H12O6\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 (glucose)? How many molecules are in 1 mole of glucose?

Solution

  1. 1
    Count the atoms from the molecular formula subscripts: 6โ€‰C+12โ€‰H+6โ€‰O=246\,\text{C} + 12\,\text{H} + 6\,\text{O} = 24 atoms per molecule.
  2. 2
    By definition, 1 mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number of particles: NA=6.022ร—1023N_A = 6.022 \times 10^{23}.
  3. 3
    Therefore, 1 mole of glucose contains 6.022ร—10236.022 \times 10^{23} molecules. The total number of individual atoms in 1 mole is 24ร—6.022ร—1023=1.445ร—102524 \times 6.022 \times 10^{23} = 1.445 \times 10^{25} atoms.

Answer

One molecule of glucose has 24 atoms. One mole of glucose contains 6.022ร—10236.022 \times 10^{23} molecules.
The molecular formula tells us the exact count of each type of atom in a single molecule. Avogadro's number bridges the microscopic (single molecule) and macroscopic (mole) scales, allowing us to count enormous numbers of particles using a convenient unit.

About Molecule

The smallest unit of a covalent substance, consisting of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds (typically covalent), acting as a single distinct.

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