West Valley College

CHEM 2

CHEM 2: Introduction to the Mole: Using Beans to Learn What it Means! Name:
Objectives:
i. Invent a new unit of amount (called the bole) that will allow us to determine the number of beans in a sample by
measuring the mass.
ii. Relate this new unit to the unit of amount called the mole, which allows us to determine the number of atoms or
molecules in a sample by measuring the mass.
1. Each container contains the same number of beans. Record the total mass of the beans in each container.
X number of lentils X number of white beans X number of chili beans
Mass of
beans (g)
Why does each sample of the same number of beans have a different mass?
2. Since we know that each sample contains the same number of beans, the ratio of masses of two different beans is the
same as the ratio of the total masses. Let’s divide each mass of beans by the lowest, and call the ratios “relative mass”