Lab Activity No.

2
UNDERSTANDING THE MOLE

OBJECTIVE: In this activity you will devise a means of answering the following
questions:

1. How many marbles are there in the jar?

2. How will you “count” many pieces of small objects like grain?
3. How will you use masses and moles to count atomic particles?

MATERIALS: scientific calculator, balance, beakers, marbles in a sealed jar, same type
empty jars with cover, (rice, mung beans, red beans, dried corn, chick peas) items in
parentheses to be brought by the students

PROCEDURE:

1. The class is going to be given a jar of marbles in the laboratory. Without opening this
jar and using items that will be made available to you, make a scientific “guess” on
the number of marbles in the jar.
2. Plan on how you could measure 1000, 5000 and 25000 pieces of the grain that you
brought (corn, beans, etc.). You are allowed to do whatever measurements you may
deem necessary on the samples of grain that you have.

QUESTIONS:

1. Explain how you arrived at your group “count” of the number of marbles in the jar.
2. Write out detailed instructions on how the given measures of grain could be counted.
3. How would you count the number of rice grains in a 25 kg sack of rice?
4. Pool data with your classmates and fill the table below: If more than one group
worked on the same grain, take the average mass of the groups’ results.

Grain* Number of grains Mass in g

Corn 25000
Rice 25000
Mung beans 25000
Red beans 25000
Chick peas 25000
(*any substitute) 25000

Are the masses for the same number of the different grains the same? Why or why
not?

5. What measurement can be used to substitute for count?

Group No. _____ Date: _______

Names: _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________

UNDERSTANDING THE MOLE

Number of Marbles in the jar: ________________

1. Explain how you arrived at your group “count” of the number of marbles in the jar.

2. Write out detailed instructions on how the given measures of grain could be counted.
3. How would you count the number of rice grains in a 25 kg sack of rice?

4. Pool data with your classmates and fill the table below: If more than one group
worked on the same grain, take the average mass of the groups’ results.

Grain Number of grains Mass in g

25000
25000
25000
25000
25000
25000

Are the masses for the same number of the different grains the same? Why or why
not?

5. What measurement can be used to substitute for count?

6. The mole represents 6.022× 1023 particles. Calculate the number of particles in the
following: (a) 0.367 mole sodium, (b) 2.50 mole of water, (c) 9.5 × 10-7 mole sugar,
C12H22O11

7. The mass of one mole or molar mass of a substance is its formula weight in grams.
Find the molar masses of (a) Na, (b) H2O, (c) C12H22O11

8. How many particles would be present in the following masses? (a) 350 mg Na, 1000
mg = 1 g , (b) 335 mL of water, density of water = 1.00 g/mL, (c) 500 g C12H22O11