STANDARD GRADE CHEMISTRY CALCULATIONS

Calculations involving the mole. 1 mole of a solid substance is the formula mass of the substance in grams. This is known as the gram formula mass (gfm). The triangle shown below
You must learn this and be able to apply it in calculations. n mass gfm mass = mass of substance.

= number of moles

gfm = gram formula mass

can be used to give the following relationships:1. 2. Mass = number of moles x gram formula mass. Number of moles =
mass gram formula mass

Worked example 1.
Calculate the mass of 0.25 moles of butane (C4H10). Step 1 :- Write the formula for butane Step 2:- Calculate the gram formula mass Step 3:- Using the triangle we have mass = number of moles x gram formula mass mass = 0.25 x 58 mass = 14.5 g Calculations for you to try. 1. Calculate the mass present in 2.5 moles of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
mass n gfm gfm = 100g mass = 2.5 x 100 = 250g

C4H10 (4 x 12) + (10 x 1) = 58g

2. Calculate the mass of ammonium sulphate, (NH4) 2SO4, present in 0.1 mol of ammonium sulphate?
gfm = 132g

Standard Grade Chemistry

mass = 0.1 x 132 = 13.2g

Worked example 2.

Calculate the number of moles in 5.05 g of potassium nitrate, (KNO3).

Step 1 :- Write the formula for potassium nitrate Step 2:- Calculate the gram formula mass KNO3

(1 x 39) + (1 x 14) + (3 x 16) = 101g

Step 3:- Using the triangle we have number of moles =
mass gram formula mass

5.05 101

= 0.05 mole
Calculations for you to try. 1. Calculate the number of moles in 132 g of carbon dioxide, CO2. mass n gfm gfm = 44g Number of moles = 2. Calculate the number of moles in 4g of bromine, Br2. gfm = 160 Number of moles =
4/ 160 132/ 44

= 3 moles

Standard Grade Chemistry

= 0.025 moles

Mole calculations involving solutions.

The concentration of a solution is measured in moles per litre (mol/l)

The triangle shown below

n You must learn this and be able to apply it in calculations. C n V (l) C = number of moles. = concentration.

V(l) = volume in litres Remember this is in litres

can be used to give the following relationships:-

1. number of moles = concentration x volume (in litres). 2. concentration =

number of moles volume (in litres)

Standard Grade Chemistry

Worked example 1.
Calculate the number of moles in 200cm3 of 0.5 mol/l sodium hydroxide solution. Step 1 :- Change the volume into litres. Step 2 :- Using the triangle gives number of moles = concentration x volume (in litres). = =
Calculations for you to try. 1. Calculate the number of moles in 50 cm3 of 0.1 mol/l zinc sulphate solution.
Volume = Number of moles
50/ 1000

0.2 litres

0.5

x 0.2

0.1 moles

= 0.05 litres = 0.0005 moles

n
C V (l)

= 0.1 x 0.05

2. Calculate the number of moles in 0.2 litres of 2 mol/l sodium hydroxide solution
Volume = 0.2 litres Number of moles = 0.2 x 2 = 0.4 moles

Standard Grade Chemistry

Calculations involving, concentration, moles and mass. In this type of calculation both triangles are used.
Worked example 1. Calculate the mass required to prepare 200cm3 of 0.1 mol/l sodium hydroxide, (NaOH), solution. Step 1 :- Calculate the number of moles of sodium hydroxide in 200cm3 of 0.1 mol/l of solution.
n C V (l)

n = c x V(l)

0.1 x 0.2

0.02 moles

Step 2 :- Calculate the mass of NaOH in 0.02 moles. gfm of NaOH = (1 x 23) + (1 x 16) + (1 x 1) = 40 mass = n x gfm = 0.02 x 40 = 0.8 g

mass n gfm

Calculation for you to try.

Calculate the mass of zinc sulphate in 500 cm3 of 0.2 mol/l ZnSO4(aq) Volume =
500/ 1000

= 0.5 litres

Standard Grade Chemistry

No. of moles = 0.2 x 0.5 = 0.1

Mass = 0.1 x 161.5

= 16.15 g

Worked example 2.
Calculate the concentration of a solution that contains 7.45 g of potassium chloride (KCl) in 250cm3 of solution. Step 1 :- Calculate the number of moles of potassium chloride in 7.45g Number of moles = gfm
mass

7.45
74.5

= 0.1

Step 2 :- Calculate the concentration of the solution.

mass

gfm

Concentration =

No. of moles Volume in litres

0.1 0.25

= 0.4 mol/l
n C V (l) Calculation for you to try.

Calculate the concentration of a solution that contains 5.85 g of sodium

Chloride, NaCl, in 200cm3 of solution. Volume =
200/ 1000

= 0.2 litres =
5.85/ 58.5

Standard Grade Chemistry

No. of moles in 5.85 g of NaCl Concentration =

0.1

= 0.1

/ 0.2

0.5 mol/l