MEDIA

Films for the Humanities and Sciences

http://ffh.films.com/
200 American Metro Blvd.
Suite 124
Hamilton, NJ 08619
P 800.257.5126; F 609.671.0266
The following media come as videos, or DVDs. Prices on average range from
$50-150.
Avogadros Hypothesis
The Mole
The Mole Concept
Wards Natural Science
www.wardsci.com
(800) 962-2660
Moles, Percent Composition, Empirical Formula Video
The World of Chemistry Videos Program 11, The Mole
Annenberg CPB Project (www.learner.org)
The Powers of Ten video goes from galaxy size down to nuclear size. It may
help students visualize the size of atoms and the comparison of Avogadros
number in terms of powers of ten. (http://www.powersof10.com/)
Wards Natural Science (www.wardsci.com)
Gases and How They Combine, A CHEM STUDY film DVD Item Number
195 V 2029; $49.99
Ammonia and hydrogen chloride are combined, measured quantitatively, and
found to have a ratio of 1.0. Similarly, simple integer volume ratios are measured
for three combinations of gases, including hydrogen and oxygen, nitric oxide and
oxygen, and hydrogen and chlorine. These ratios will lead your students to
discover Avogadros Hypothesis. Duration: 22 minutes.
National Mole Day Foundation A wealth of ideas on how to celebrate Mole DayOctober 23rd. Mole Day commemorates Avogadro's number (6.02 X 1023) which
is the basic measuring unit in chemistry. http://www.moleday.org

EQUIPMENT

A simple electrolysis apparatus suitable for the electrolysis of water

to illustrate the relation of the mole to gas volume is available from
laboratory equipment vendors.
Flinn Scientific (www.flinnsci.com) sells both Brownlee style
(AP9027) and Hoffman electrolysis apparatus (AP5879).

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The Mole (MOLE)

Kolb, D. (1978). The mole. Journal of Chemical Education, 55, 728-732.

This article is a review of the mole concept. It also describes methods for
measuring Avogadro's number.
McCullough, T. (1992). Are Moles Really Necessary? Journal of Chemical Education,
69(2), 121.
Using balanced equation weights to avoid the use of moles in calculations.
Merlo, C. & Turner, K.E. (1993). Applications and Analogies: A Mole of M & M's.
Journal ofChemical Education, 70(6), 453.
Visualizing the immensity of Avagadro's number.
Morrison, P., and Morrison, P. (1987). The ring of truth: An inquiry into how we know
what we know. New York, NY: Random House.
This book contains pictures from the videotape "The Atom" from the Ring of
Truth series by Philip Morrison.
Morrison, P., Morrison, P., and the Office of Charles and Ray Eames. (1982).
Powers of ten. Redding, CT: Scientific American Library.
This book illustrates orders of magnitude from 1024 m (larger than our galaxy)
to the size of nuclei. It contains pictures taken from the film Powers of Ten: A
Film Dealing with the Relative Size of Things in the Universe and the Effect of
Adding Another Zero produced in the office of Charles and Ray Eames for IBM
in 1977.
Schwartz, A. T., and Pryde, L. T. Mole poster. Available from Education Division,
American Chemical Society, 1155 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036.
Many mole analogies presented in this module are taken from this poster.
Slowinski, E. J., Wolsey, W. C., and Masterton, W. L. (1985). Water of hydration. In
Chemical principles in the laboratory (4th Ed.) (pp. 37-42). New York, NY:
Saunders.
This is an example of a typical water of hydration experiment.
Tocci, S. (1984). How much meat in a hot dog? The Science Teacher, 51(3), 62.
A brief description is given of a method for determining the percent fat and
percent water in a hot dog.
Vogel, D. (1992, November). Atomless Chemistry? The Science Teacher, 59(8), 3235.
Explanations of some of the fundamentals of chemistry.

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References updated by James O. Schreck and Mary Virginia Orna

Azcona, R. Furio, C. Guisasola, J. (2002) The Learning and Teaching of the Concepts
Amount of Substance and Mole: A Review of the Literature, CHEMISTRY
EDUCATION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN EUROPE 3, No. 3, pp. 277-292.
http://www.uoi.gr/cerp/2002_October/02.html
The importance of the concepts of 'amount of substance' and 'mole' is supported by the
abundance in the last decade of research papers on the problem of the teaching and
learning of these concepts.
Bindel, T. (2002) Crystal Models Made from Clear Plastic Boxes and Their Use in
Determining Avogadros Number, Journal of Chemical Education, 79, 468.
Describes an easy way to make crystal lattice models, and the use of these lattice models
in calculating Avogadros number.
Diemente, D. (1998) Demonstrations of the Enormity of Avogadros Number, Journal
of Chemical Education, 75, 1565.
Uses different calculations to help try to get students minds around Avogadros number.
Diemente, D. (2000) A Drop in the Ocean, Journal of Chemical Education, 77, 1010.
A demonstration for the enormity of Avogadros number showing that there are 170
times as many water molecules in a 100mL beaker as there are beakerfuls of water in the
ocean.
Gorin, G. (2003) Mole, Mole per Liter, and Molar: A Primer on SI and Related Units for
Chemistry Students, Journal of Chemical Education, 80, 103.
Discusses the historical background on the terms mole, mole per liter, and molar, and
their status with respect to the SI system of measurement.
Jensen, W. (2004) The Origin of the Mole Concept, Journal of Chemical Education,
81, 1409.
This column traces the origins of the mole concept in chemistry.
Jensen, W. (2007) How and When Did Avogadros Name become Associated with
Avogadros Number? Journal of Chemical Education, 84 223.
This column traces the process by which Avogadros name became associated with
Avogadros number.
Leenson, I. (1998) Ernest Rutherford, Avogadros Number, and Chemical Kinetics,
Journal of Chemical Education, 75, 998.
Outlines a method using Rutherfords data from 1908-1911 in order to determine
Avogadros number.
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Powers, Angela. (1999) The Weighty Matter of the Kilogram Standard, ChemMatters,
17, No. 3, 14-15.
The search for standards in measuring, how it is done.
Uthe, R. (2002) For Mole Problems, Call Avogadro: 602-1023, Journal of Chemical
Education, 79, 1213.
Techniques to help students become more familiar with Avogadros number and mole
calculations.
Wakeley, D. & de Grys, H. (2000) Developing an Intuitive Approach to Moles,
Journal of Chemical Education, 77, 1007.
Discusses discovery-oriented laboratory exercises for helping students develop an
intuitive understanding of moles.

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