A sample of the male sex hormone testosterone, C19H28O2, contains 3.88 * 1021 hydrogen atoms. (b) How many molecules of testosterone does it contain?

Key Concepts

Avogadro's Number

Avogadro's number, approximately 6.022 x 10^23, is the number of atoms, ions, or molecules in one mole of a substance. This constant is crucial for converting between the number of particles and the amount of substance in moles, allowing chemists to relate macroscopic quantities to microscopic entities.

Molecular Formula

The molecular formula of a compound indicates the number and type of atoms present in a molecule. For testosterone, C19H28O2 signifies that each molecule contains 19 carbon atoms, 28 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. Understanding the molecular formula is essential for determining the number of molecules from the total number of atoms.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. In this context, it helps in calculating the number of molecules of testosterone based on the total number of hydrogen atoms, using the ratio of hydrogen atoms per molecule as defined by its molecular formula.