Avogadro's number

Avogadro's number (ävōgä'drō) [key] [for Amedeo Avogadro], number of particles contained in one mole of any substance; it is equal to 602,252,000,000,000,000,000,000, or in scientific notation, 6.02252×10²³. For example, 12.011 grams of carbon (one mole of carbon) contains 6.02252×10²³ carbon atoms, and 180.16 grams of glucose, C₆H₁₂O₆, contains 6.02252×10²³ molecules of glucose. Avogadro's number is determined by calculating the spacing of the atoms in a crystalline solid through X-ray methods and combining this data with the measured volume of one mole of the solid to obtain the number of molecules per molar volume.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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