CALCULATIONS BASED ON FORMULAE

7.2 - Mole Concept

Scale up to see

We cannot see a single atom, a single formula unit or a single molecule, but if we scale up to the mole and count in the unit of mole, we can see, with our eyes, these compounds in bulk form.

• We cannot see a molecule of water. But a mole of water is about 18 mL.
• We cannot see a formula unit of table salt. But a mole of table salt is about a palm-full of table salt.
• We cannot see a molecule of oxygen gas. But a mole of oxygen gas will expand a balloon to a diameter of 35 cm at room temperature.

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