Moles exist in chemistry? These are not animals that live underground and dig through your gardens — they are quantities of elements. Learn about moles and how they help chemists determine amounts of substances (from atomic mass to grams).

Concepts

stoichiometry, isotopes, atomic mass, moles, avogadro's number, molar mass, balancing chemical equations, mole ratios

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Preview video in order to scaffold information for learners 
• Choose stopping points in the video and script questions and problems for learners to discuss and solve in pairs
• Follow up with labs and activities to support complex concepts discussed in class

Classroom Considerations

• Lesson assumes high schoolers already understand conservation of mass, chemical equations, and converting between units
• Must have a classroom computer, Internet access, and a projection system to use the lesson

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Video relates stoichiometry to trying to determine how much sugar to put into a cup of tea to make sweet tea
• Relates complex concepts to high school students, keeping them engaged and cementing the material 

Cons

• The video is very detailed, heavy with information, which might require you to explore and extend the lesson further in the lab and classroom 

Common Core

RL.9-10.3