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How to Find the Mass of One Hydrogen Atom

Published in Atomic Mass Calculation 2 mins read

To find the mass of a single hydrogen atom, you can use the concept of the mole and Avogadro's number, along with the atomic weight of hydrogen.

Understanding the Concepts

Before calculating the mass of one atom, it's helpful to understand two key concepts in chemistry:

  • Mole: A mole is a unit of measurement used in chemistry to express amounts of a chemical substance. One mole of any substance contains approximately 6.022 x 10²³ constituent particles (atoms, molecules, ions, etc.). This number is known as Avogadro's Number.
  • Molar Mass: The molar mass of an element is the mass in grams of one mole of that element's atoms. For hydrogen, the molar mass is approximately 1.008 grams per mole.

The Calculation Process

According to the provided reference, 1 MOLE of hydrogen atoms will weigh 1.008 grams. To find the mass of a single ATOM, we need to convert this molar mass from grams per mole to grams per atom. This conversion utilizes Avogadro's Number.

Here are the steps:

  1. Start with the molar mass of Hydrogen: This is the mass of one mole of Hydrogen atoms.
    • Value from reference: 1.008 grams per mole.
  2. Use Avogadro's Number to convert moles to atoms: Avogadro's Number tells us how many atoms are in one mole (6.022 x 10²³ atoms per mole).
  3. Divide the molar mass by Avogadro's Number: This calculation effectively divides the total mass of one mole of atoms by the number of atoms in that mole, giving you the mass of a single atom.

The calculation, as shown in the reference, is performed as follows:

1.008 grams/mole Hydrogen * (1 mole/6.022x10²³ atoms)

Notice how the unit 'mole' cancels out in the calculation, leaving you with the unit 'grams per atom'.

Result

Performing the calculation gives the mass of one hydrogen atom:

1.008 g/mol ÷ 6.022 x 10²³ atoms/mol = 1.67 x 10⁻²⁴ grams/atom

Therefore, the mass of one Hydrogen atom is approximately 1.67 x 10⁻²⁴ grams. This calculation demonstrates how it's possible to determine the incredibly small mass of a single atom using macroscopic measurements (molar mass) and Avogadro's constant.

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