Moles and Balancing Equations
Moles are chemistry's way of counting particles, and honestly, they make calculations so much easier once you get the hang of them. One mole contains 6.02 × 10²³ particles (Avogadro's number), and conveniently, one mole of any substance weighs exactly its relative atomic mass in grams.
The key equation you'll use constantly is: number of moles = mass in grams ÷ Mr. This formula helps you convert between the actual mass of something and how many particles you're dealing with.
When balancing equations, those big numbers in front of compounds tell you the mole ratio. To balance any equation: find the moles of each substance, divide by the smallest number, then multiply everything to get whole numbers if needed.
Understanding limiting reactants is crucial too - this is whichever chemical runs out first and determines how much product you can make. Think of it like making sandwiches: if you've got 10 slices of bread but only 3 slices of cheese, the cheese limits how many cheese sandwiches you can create!
Remember: Concentration simply tells you how much stuff is dissolved in a solution, measured as mass of solute ÷ volume of solvent in g/dm³.