Moles and the Mole Concept

Students need to be able to inter convert comfortably between moles and masses at this stage and understand how to use the data in the periodic table to work out the mass of one mole of a substance, whether an element or a compound.

Students often have misconceptions regarding balanced chemical equations, and in particular will often still not be clear about the different numbers used in formulae and equations. For example if  2 Mg(NO₃)₂ appears in an equation students are often still unclear at this stage about the meaning of the stoichiometry number and the use of the subscript in NO₃ and the importance of the subscript outside the brackets. It is absolutely essential that any issues of this kind are addressed before moving on to any sort of calculations involving balanced chemical equations.  

Whilst this list provides a source of information and ideas for experimental work, it is important to note that recommendations can date very quickly. Do NOT follow suggestions which conflict with current advice from CLEAPSS, SSERC or other recent safety guides. eLibrary users are responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is consistent with current regulations related to Health and Safety and that they carry an appropriate risk assessment. Further information is provided in our Health and Safety guidance