Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS (CHEM111)
UNIT I
FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this unit, the students will be able to:
1. Describe different ways to identify atoms.
2. Combine simple ions to write formulas and names of some ionic compounds.
3. Interconvert masses, moles, and formulas.
4. Write balanced equations to describe chemical reactions.
5. Carry out calculations related to the use of solutions in chemical reactions.
V. MOLES AND MOLAR MASSES
A. Atomic Mass
From the previous module, we’ve learned that the mass of an atom depends on the
number of electrons, protons, and neutrons it contains. Understanding an atom’s mass is
significant in laboratory work but atoms are extremely small particles. Imagine the smallest
speck of dust that our eyes can see contains as many as 1x 10 16 atoms! Clearly it is impossible
to weigh a single atom, but it is possible to determine the mass of one atom relative to
another experimentally. Primarily, this is done by assigning a value to the mass of one atom
of a given element so that it can be used as a standard.
By international agreement, atomic mass (sometimes called atomic weight) is the mass
of the atom in atomic mass units (amu). One atomic mass unit is defined as a mass exactly
equal to one-twelfth the mass of one carbon-12 atom. Carbon-12 is the carbon isotope that
contains six protons and six neutrons. Therefore, setting the atomic mass of carbon-12 at 12
amu provides the standard for measuring the atomic mass of the other elements.
Example:
Experiments have shown that, on average, a hydrogen atom is only 8.400 percent
as massive as the carbon-12 atom.
Thus, if the mass of one carbon- 12 atom is exactly 12 amu, the atomic mass of
hydrogen must be 0.084(12.00) amu or 1.008 amu.
Similar calculations show that the atomic mass of oxygen is 16.00 amu
and that of iron is 55.85 amu.
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 1 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
B. Average Atomic Mass
When you look up the atomic mass of carbon in the periodic table, you will
notice that its value is not 12.00 amu but 12.01 amu. This is because most
naturally occurring elements (including carbon) have more than one isotope.
This means that when we measure the atomic mass of an element, we must
generally settle for the average mass of the naturally occurring mixture of
isotopes.
Example 5.1
Copper, a metal known since ancient times, is used in electrical cables and pennies,
among other things. The atomic masses of its two stable isotopes, 29 63Cu (69.09 percent)
and 2965Cu (30.91 percent), are 62.93 amu and 64.9278 amu, respectively. Calculate the
average atomic mass of copper. The relative abundances are given in parentheses.
Strategy:
Each isotope contributes to the average atomic mass based on its relative abundance.
Multiplying the mass of an isotope by its fractional abundance (not percent) will give the
contribution to the average atomic mass of that particular isotope.
The average atomic mass of carbon can be calculated as follows:
29
Average atomic mass of Copper, Cu = {(% abundance of 63Cu)( Atomic mass of Cu)}
29
+ {(% abundance of 65Cu)( Atomic mass of Cu)}
Solution:
First the percent are converted to fractions: 69.09 percent to 69.09/100 or 0.6909 and
30.91 percent to 30.91/100 or 0.3091. Second is to find the contribution to the average
atomic mass for each isotope, and then finally, add the contributions together to get the
average atomic mass.
Average atomic mass of Copper, Cu = {(0.69.09)(62.93) + (0.3091)(64.9278)}
Average atomic mass of Copper, Cu =
Average atomic mass of Copper, Cu = 63.55 amu
Check
The average atomic mass should be between the two isotopic masses; therefore,
the answer is reasonable. Note that because there are more 2963Cu than 2965Cu isotopes, the
average atomic mass is closer to 62.93 amu than to 64.9278 amu.
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 2 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
C. Mole
Atomic mass units provide a relative scale in the determination of elements masses. But
because atoms have extremely small masses, no practical scale can be utilized to them in
calibrated units of atomic mass units. Therefore, it is easier to have a special unit to define a
very large number of atoms. Actually, the idea of a unit to denote a particular number of
objects is not new. We are already used to it in our everyday life, for example, the pair (2
items), the dozen (12 items), and the gross (144 items) are all familiar units. In chemistry,
atoms and molecules are measured by moles.
In the SI system the mole (mol) is the amount of a substance that contains as many
elementary entities (atoms, molecules, or other particles) as there are atoms in exactly
12 g (or 0.012 kg) of the carbon-12 isotope. The actual number of atoms in 12 g of carbon-12
is determined experimentally. This number is called Avogadro’s number (NA), in honor of the
Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro. The currently accepted value is
Generally, we round Avogardro’s number to 6.022x1023. Thus, just as one dozen apples
contain 12 apples, 1 mole of hydrogen atoms contains 6.022x1023 H atoms.
The size of Avogadro’s number is difficult to imagine. And because atoms (and molecules) are
so small, we need a huge number to study them conveniently.
We have seen that 1 mole of carbon-12
an atom has a mass of exactly 12 g and
contains 6.022x1023 atoms. This mass of
carbon-12 is its molar mass (m), defned
as the mass (in grams or kilograms) of 1
Note that the molar mass of carbon-12 (in
mole of units (such as atoms or grams) is numerically equal to its atomic
molecules) of a substance. mass in amu. Likewise, the atomic mass of
sodium (Na) is 22.99 amu and its molar mass
is 22.99 g; the atomic mass of phosphorus is
30.97 amu and its molar mass is 30.97 g;
and so on.
If we know the atomic mass of an element, we also know its molar mass.
Knowing the molar mass and Avogadro’s number, we can calculate the mass of a single atom
in grams.
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 3 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
Example 5.2
Helium (He) is a valuable gas used in industry, low-temperature research, deep-sea
diving tanks, and balloons. How many moles of He atoms are in 6.46 g of He?
Strategy
We are given grams of helium and asked to solve for moles of helium. What conversion
factor do we need to convert grams to moles? Arrange the suitable conversion factor so
that grams will cancel and the unit moles will be obtained for your answer.
Solution
The conversion factor needed to convert between grams and moles is the
molar mass. In the periodic table, that the molar mass of He is 4.003 g. This can be
expressed as
1 mol He = 4.003 g He
From this equality, we can write two conversion factors
and
The conversion factor on the left is the correct one. Grams will cancel, leaving the unit
mol for the answer, that is,
Thus, there are 1.61 moles of He atoms in 6.46 g of He.
Check
Because the given mass (6.46 g) is larger than the molar mass of He, we expect to have
more than 1 mole of He.
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 4 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
Example 5.3
Zinc (Zn) is a silvery metal that is used in making brass (with copper) and in plating iron to
prevent corrosion. How many grams of Zn are in 0.356 mole of Zn?
Strategy
Since we are trying to solve for grams of zinc, what conversion factor do we need to
convert moles to grams? Arrange the suitable conversion factor so that moles will cancel
and the unit grams will be obtained for your answer.
Solution
The conversion factor needed to convert moles to grams is the molar mass. In the periodic
table, the molar mass of Zn is 65.39 g. This can be expressed as
1 mol Zn = 65.39 g Zn
From this equality, we can write two conversion factors
and
The conversion factor on the right is the correct one. Moles will cancel, leaving unit of
grams for the answer. The number of grams of Zn is
Thus, there are 23.3 g of Zn in 0.356 mole of Zn.
Check
Does a mass of 23.3 g for 0.356 mole of Zn seem reasonable? What is the
mass of 1 mole of Zn?
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 5 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
Example 5.4
Sulfur (S) is a nonmetallic element that is present in coal. When coal is burned, sulfur is
converted to sulfur dioxide and eventually to sulfuric acid that gives rise to the acid rain
phenomenon. How many atoms are in 16.3 g of S?
Strategy
The question asks for atoms of sulfur. We cannot convert directly from grams to atoms of
sulfur. What unit do we need to convert grams of sulfur to in order to convert to atoms?
What does Avogadro’s number represent?
Solution
We need two conversions: first from grams to moles and then from moles to number of
particles (atoms).
Because 1 mol S = 32.07 g S
the conversion factor is
Avogadro’s number is the key to the second step. We have
1 mol = 6.022x1023 particles (atoms)
and the conversion factors are
and
The conversion factor on the left is the one we need because it has number of S atoms in
the numerator. We can solve the problem by first calculating the number of moles
contained in 16.3 g of S, and then calculating the number of S atoms from the number of
moles of S:
We can combine these conversions in one step as follows:
Thus, there are 3.06 x1023 atoms of S in 16.3 g of S.
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 6 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
D. Molecular Mass
Since we already know how to compute for the atomic masses of the component atoms, we can
now calculate the mass of a molecule. The molecular mass (sometimes called molecular
weight) is the sum of their atomic masses (in amu) in the molecule.
For example, the molecular mass of H2O is
2(atomic mass of H) + atomic mass of O
2(1.008 amu) + 16.00 amu = 18.02 amu
Generally, we just need to multiply the atomic mass of each element by the number of atoms
of that element present in the molecule then get the sum over all the elements.
Example 5.5
Calculate the molecular masses (in amu) of the following compounds:
(a) sulfur dioxide(SO2)
(b) caffeine (C8H10N4O2).
Strategy
How do atomic masses of different elements combine to give the molecular mass of a
compound?
Solution
To be able to calculate the molecular mass, we need to sum all the atomic masses in the
molecule. For each element, we need to multiply the atomic mass of the element by the
number of atoms of that element in the molecule. We may use the periodic table of
elements to find atomic masses of a particular element.
(a) There are two O atoms and one S atom in SO2, so that
molecular mass of SO2 = 32.07 amu + 2(16.00 amu) = 64.07 amu
(b) There are eight C atoms, ten H atoms, four N atoms, and two O atoms in caffeine, so
the molecular mass of C8H10N4O2 is given by
Molecular mass of C8H10N4O2 = (No. C atoms)(Atomic mass C) + (No. H atoms) (Atomic
mass H) + (No. N atoms) (Atomic mass N) + (No. O atoms)(Atomic mass O)
Substituting,
8(12.01 amu) + 10(1.008 amu) + 4(14.01 amu) + 2(16.00 amu) = 194.20 amu
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 7 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
Example 5.6
Methane (CH4) is the principal component of natural gas. How many moles of CH 4 are present
in 6.07 g of CH4?
Strategy
We are given grams of CH4 and asked to solve for moles of CH4. What conversion factor do
we need to convert between grams and moles? Arrange the suitable conversion factor so
that grams cancel and the unit moles will be obtained for your answer.
Solution
The conversion factor needed to convert between grams and moles is the molar mass. First
we need to calculate the molar mass of CH4.
Molar mass of CH4 = (No. C atoms)(Atomic mass C) + (No. H atoms)(Atomic mass H)
molar mass of CH4 = 12.01 g + 4(1.008 g) = 16.04 g
therefore,
1 mol CH4 = 16.04 g CH4
the conversion factor we need should have grams in the denominator so that the unit g
will cancel, leaving the unit mol in the numerator:
We can now write
Thus, there is 0.378 mole of CH4 in 6.07 g of CH4
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 8 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
Example 5.7
How many hydrogen atoms are present in 25.6 g of urea [(NH 2)2CO], which is used as a
fertilizer, in animal feed, and in the manufacture of polymers? The molar mass of urea is
60.06 g.
Strategy
We are required to solve for atoms of hydrogen in 25.6 g of urea. We cannot convert
directly from grams of urea to atoms of hydrogen. How should molar mass and Avogadro’s
number be used in this calculation? How many moles of H are in 1 mole of urea?
Solution
To calculate the number of H atoms,
1. We must first convert grams of urea to moles of urea using the molar mass of
urea.
2. The molecular formula of urea shows there are four moles of H atoms in one mole
of urea molecule, therefore, the mole ratio is 4:1.
3. Finally, after knowing the number of moles of H atoms, we can now calculate the
number of H atoms using Avogadro’s number. We need two conversion factors:
molar mass and Avogadro’s number. We can combine these conversions
Step1 Step 2 Step 3
= 1.03 x 1024 H atoms
Self-learning Assessment:
1. The atomic masses of the two stable isotopes of boron, 105B (19.78 percent) and 115B (80.22
percent), are 10.0129 amu and 11.0093 amu, respectively.
Calculate the average atomic mass of boron.
2. Chlorine is one of the most used elements in the industry. It is mainly used in making
plastics, solvents for dry cleaning and metal degreasing, textiles, agrochemicals and
pharmaceuticals, insecticides, dyestuffs, and household cleaning products. The atomic
masses of 3517Cl (75.53 %) and 3717Cl (24.47 %) are 34.968 amu and 36.956 amu, respectively.
a. What is the relative mass of 3517Cl?
b. What is the relative mass of 3717Cl?
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 9 of 10
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Carig Campus, Tuguegarao City
College of Engineering
c. What is the average atomic mass of Chlorine?
3. Gallium arsenide is used on semiconductor production mainly for laser diodes, light emitting
diodes, and solar panels (www.chemicool.com). The gallium element has two isotopes with
an average atomic mass of 69.72 amu. Its isotopes are 6931Ga and 7131Ga that has a relative
masses 68.9256 amu and 70.9247 amu, respectively.
a. What is the relative abundance of 6931Ga?
b. What is the relative abundance of 7131Ga?
4. How many moles of magnesium (Mg) are there in 87.3 g of Mg?
5. Calculate the number of grams of lead (Pb) in 12.4 moles of lead.
6. How many H atoms are in 72.5 g of isopropanol (rubbing alcohol), C 3H8O?
7. How many molecules of ethane (C2H6) are present in 0.334 g of C2H6?
8. Calculate the number of C, H, and O atoms in 1.50 g of glucose (C6H12O6), a sugar.
9. The density of water is 1.00 g/mL at 48C. How many water molecules are present in 2.56 mL of
water at this temperature?
10. Earth’s population is about 6.5 billion. Suppose that every person on Earth participates in a process of
counting identical particles at the rate of two particles per second. How many years would it take to
count 6.0 x 1023 particles? Assume that there are 365 days in a year.
References:
1. Zumdhal, Steven S., Zumdhal, Susan A.(2012). Chemisrty: An Atoms First Approach
(International Edition). Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning
2. Chang, Raymond (2010). CHEMISTRY (10th ed). McGraw-Hill
Chemical Engineering Department Module 2: Page 10 of 10
