The Atomic Mass Unit, the Avogadro Constant, and the Mole: A Way To UnderstandingClick to copy article linkArticle link copied!
Abstract
Numerous articles have been published that address problems encountered in teaching basic concepts of chemistry such as the atomic mass unit, Avogadro’s number, and the mole. The origin of these problems is found in the concept definitions. If these definitions are adjusted for teaching purposes, understanding could be improved. In the present article, the definitions are discussed, and the following adjustments are suggested: (i) the feature that classifies carbon-12 for the definition as the standard be its abundance, (ii) Avogadro’s number should refer directly to the standard nuclide sample, (iii) the definition of the mole be based on Avogadro’s number, and (iv) the term amount of substance be replaced by the collection or quantity of microentities. It is also proposed that the definition of the mole is first presented for nuclides and then generalized for poly-isotopic elements and chemical compounds. A possible redefinition of kilogram as a multiple of the standard nuclide mass is also briefly discussed.
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This article is cited by 10 publications.
- Klaus Schmidt-Rohr. Analysis of Two Definitions of the Mole That Are in Simultaneous Use, and Their Surprising Consequences. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 97
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, 597-602. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00467
- Andrzej Barański . Comment on “Unpacking the Meaning of the Mole Concept for Secondary School Teachers and Students”. Journal of Chemical Education 2014, 91
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, 1098-1098. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed5002398
- Sandra Cotes and José Cotuá . Using Audience Response Systems during Interactive Lectures To Promote Active Learning and Conceptual Understanding of Stoichiometry. Journal of Chemical Education 2014, 91
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, 673-677. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed400111m
- Elena Ghibaudi, Marco Ghirardi, Alberto Regis. Are there distinct views of chemistry behind the old and the new definition of mole?. Foundations of Chemistry 2024, 26
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, 385-398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-024-09515-z
- Emmanuel Mweshi, Onesmus Munyati, Kabunga Nachiyunde. Teachers’ Understanding of the Link between the Atomic Theory and the Mole Concept. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2020, 24
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, 411-422. https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2020.1845462
- Paul De Bièvre. Clarity about the base quantity “amount of substance” is required before (re)definition of the associated base unit mole is meaningful. Accreditation and Quality Assurance 2015, 20
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, 441-443. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-015-1159-7
- Su-Chi Fang, Christina Hart, David Clarke. Redefining the mole: the perspective of teaching and learning. Accreditation and Quality Assurance 2015, 20
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, 215-217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-014-1102-3
- Paul De Bièvre. CCQM owes chemists a description of the concept ‘amount of substance’. Accreditation and Quality Assurance 2014, 19
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, 323-325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-014-1068-1
- Kevin C. de Berg. The Place of the History of Chemistry in the Teaching and Learning of Chemistry. 2014, 317-341. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7654-8_11
- A. Barański. The prospect of the dalton in the new SI: an educator’s point of view. Accreditation and Quality Assurance 2013, 18
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, 441-445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-013-1004-9
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