Chapter 10, Problem 213A

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Report on life of chemist Amedeo Avogadro should be prepared and explanation should be provided for his work to led scientist to calculate the number of particles in a mole.

Concept introduction:

The number of particles in a mole of a substance is equal to Avogadro’s number.

Explanation of Solution

Amedeo Avogadro was born on 9 August, 1776 whose full name is Lorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo Avogadro conte di Quaregna e Cerreto. Avogadro’s father, Filippo Avogadro was a lawyer and Avogadro succeeded to his father’s title, studied degrees in law and practiced as a lawyer. He gradually lost interest in legal matters and found mathematics and science more interesting and thus, spent more time in studying these subjects. In 1820, he became the professor of physics. He is famous for his hypothesis of equal volumes of different gases at the same pressure and temperature contain the same number of particles.

The credit for the idea that the number of atoms or molecules present in a substance are in direct relation to its mass is given to Amedeo Avogadro. The proportion that relates physical mass on a human scale to the molar mass on an atomic scale is Avogadro’s number, defined as number of particles (atoms, molecules, etc.) in a mole of a substance. It is expressed as ${\text{N}}_{\text{A}}$ and is equal to $\text{6}\text{.022}\times {\text{10}}^{23}{\text{ mol}}^{-1}$.

Scientists can compare and discuss large numbers using Avogadro’s number, useful in determining the quantities of atoms and molecules of the substances helpful in everyday life.