In the previous post, we discussed converting grams to moles. Remember, the first thing was to look up the molar mass in the periodic table, set up the correct conversion factor, and finally do the multiplication. Here is a short summary for converting the mass to moles:

Now, to calculate the number of molecules or atoms from mass, we need one extra step using the Avogadro’s number (6.02 x 1023). Remember, the Avogadro’s number shows how many particles, which can be atoms, molecules, ions, there are in one mole of a sample and because it is related to moles, we need to first convert the mass to moles.
So, there are two steps combined in this conversion and the plan is to first convert the mass to moles and then to the number of molecules using NA:

For example, how many molecules of PCl5 are there in a 54.0 g of sample?
First, we calculate the molar:
M (PCl5) = M (P) + 5 M (Cl) = 31.0 + 5 x 35.5 = 208.5 g/mol
The two conversion factors for calculating the moles would be:
\[\frac{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{208}}{\rm{.5}}\;{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\;{\rm{or}}\,\,\frac{{{\rm{208}}{\rm{.5}}\;{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\]
We are going to use the first conversion factor because it has the units of grams on the denominator which allows us to cancel them with the initial amount given in grams:
\[{\rm{n}}\,{\rm{(PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}{\rm{)}}\,{\rm{ = }}\,{\rm{54}}{\rm{.0}}\,\cancel{{{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\,{\rm{ \times }}\,\frac{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{208}}{\rm{.5}}\;\cancel{{{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}}}\;{\rm{ = }}\,{\rm{0}}{\rm{.260}}\,{\rm{mol}}\]
Once we have the number of moles, we use another conversion factor linking it with the Avogadro’s number.
\[\frac{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.02}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{\rm{molecules}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\;{\rm{or}}\,\frac{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.02}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{\rm{molecules}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\]
And this time, we need to pick the one that allows canceling the mols which is the second conversion factor:
\[{\rm{0}}{\rm{.26 }}\cancel{{{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\, \times \;\frac{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.02}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{\rm{molecules}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\;\cancel{{{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}}}\, = \;1.57\,{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\,{\rm{molecules PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}\]
You can always combine the conversions into a one-step process:
\[{\rm{N}}\,{\rm{(PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}{\rm{)}}\,{\rm{ = }}\,{\rm{54}}{\rm{.0}}\,\cancel{{{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\,{\rm{ \times }}\,\frac{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{208}}{\rm{.5}}\;\cancel{{{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}}}\; \times \;\frac{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.02}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{\rm{molecules}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\;\cancel{{{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}}}\, = \;1.57\,{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\,{\rm{molecules}}\]
Another example: How many molecules of glucose, C6H12O6 are there in a 35.0 g sample?
The molar mass of glucose is:
M (C6H12O6) = 6 x 12 + 12 x 1.0 + 6 x 16 = 180 g/mol
Therefore, the two conversion factors for going mass → moles, and moles → molecules are:
\[\frac{{{\rm{1}}\,{\rm{mol}}\,{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{6}}}{{\rm{H}}_{{\rm{12}}}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{6}}}}}{{{\rm{180}}{\rm{.}}\,{\rm{g}}}}\;,\,\,\frac{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.022}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{6}}}{{\rm{H}}_{{\rm{12}}}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{6}}}\,{\rm{molecules}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\,{\rm{mol}}\,{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{6}}}{{\rm{H}}_{{\rm{12}}}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{6}}}}}\]
So, we can use these factors to convert the mass to the number of molecules:
\[{\rm{N}}\;{\rm{(}}{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{6}}}{{\rm{H}}_{{\rm{12}}}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{6}}}{\rm{)}}\,{\rm{ = }}\;{\rm{35}}{\rm{.0}}\cancel{{\rm{g}}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,\frac{{{\rm{1}}\cancel{{{\rm{mol}}\,{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{6}}}{{\rm{H}}_{{\rm{12}}}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{6}}}}}}}{{{\rm{180}}{\rm{.}}\cancel{{\rm{g}}}}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,\frac{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.022}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{6}}}{{\rm{H}}_{{\rm{12}}}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{6}}}\,{\rm{molecules}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\,\cancel{{{\rm{mol}}\,{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{6}}}{{\rm{H}}_{{\rm{12}}}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{6}}}}}}}\; = \;1.17\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;\;\;\]
Converting the Number of Molecules to Grams
Sometimes, you may be asked to determine the mass of a sample given the number of molecules. This is the reverse calculation, and we are going to use the other conversion factor that we obtain for linking the molar mass to moles, and the moles to the number of molecules.
For example, let’s say we were asked to determine the mass of a PCl5 sample that contains 7.58 x 1024 molecules. Remember, these were the conversion factors we got for finding the number of molecules for a PCl5 sample:
\[\frac{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{208}}{\rm{.5}}\;{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\;{\rm{or}}\,\,\frac{{{\rm{208}}{\rm{.5}}\;{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\]
\[\frac{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.02}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{\rm{molecules}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\;{\rm{or}}\,\frac{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.02}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;{\rm{molecules}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\;{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\]
This time, we are starting with the conversion factor containing the Avogadro’s number, and we need to pick the one that allows canceling the number of molecules, and then then the number of moles.
\[{\rm{m}}\,{\rm{(PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}{\rm{)}}\,{\rm{ = }}\,{\rm{7}}{\rm{.58}}\,{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{24}}}}\cancel{{{\rm{molecules}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\,{\rm{ \times }}\,\frac{{{\rm{1}}\;\cancel{{{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}}}{{{\rm{6}}{\rm{.02}}\;{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{23}}}}\;\cancel{{{\rm{molecules}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}}}\,{\rm{ \times }}\,\frac{{{\rm{208}}{\rm{.5}}\;{\rm{g}}\,{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}{{{\rm{1}}\;\cancel{{{\rm{mol}}\;{\rm{PC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{5}}}}}\,}}\,{\rm{ = }}\;{\rm{2}}{\rm{.63}}\,{\rm{ \times }}\,{\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{\rm{3}}}\,{\rm{g}}\]
Practice
Check Also
- Subatomic particles and Isotopes
- Naming Monatomic and Polyatomic Ions
- Naming Ionic Compounds
- Naming Covalent Compounds
- Naming Acids and Bases
- Atomic and Molecular Masses
- The Mole and Molar Mass
- Percent Composition and Empirical Formula
- Stoichiometry of Chemical Reactions
- Limiting Reactant
- Limiting Reactant Practice Problems
- Reaction/Percent Yield
- Stoichiometry Practice Problems