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Ch.3 - Chemical Reactions and Reaction Stoichiometry
Chapter 3, Problem 29d

(a) Write 'true' or 'false' for each statement. (d) A mole of NaCl(s) contains 2 moles of ions

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Step 1: Understand the concept of a mole. A mole is a unit of measurement in chemistry that is used to express amounts of a chemical substance. It is defined as exactly 6.02214076×10^23 particles, which may be atoms, molecules, ions, or electrons.
Step 2: Understand the structure of NaCl. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an ionic compound, which means it is composed of ions. In this case, it is composed of sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-).
Step 3: When NaCl dissolves in water, it dissociates into its ions. Each formula unit of NaCl dissociates into one Na+ ion and one Cl- ion.
Step 4: Therefore, one mole of NaCl will dissociate into one mole of Na+ ions and one mole of Cl- ions.
Step 5: So, a mole of NaCl(s) contains 2 moles of ions (one mole of Na+ and one mole of Cl-). Therefore, the statement is true.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Mole Concept

The mole is a fundamental unit in chemistry that quantifies the amount of substance. One mole contains approximately 6.022 x 10^23 entities, such as atoms, molecules, or ions. This concept allows chemists to convert between the mass of a substance and the number of particles it contains, facilitating stoichiometric calculations in chemical reactions.
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Ionic Compounds

Ionic compounds, like sodium chloride (NaCl), are formed from the electrostatic attraction between positively charged cations and negatively charged anions. In the case of NaCl, each formula unit consists of one sodium ion (Na+) and one chloride ion (Cl-), resulting in a 1:1 ratio of ions. Understanding the composition of ionic compounds is crucial for determining their properties and behavior in chemical reactions.
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Dissociation of Ionic Compounds

When ionic compounds dissolve in water, they dissociate into their constituent ions. For NaCl, this means that one mole of solid NaCl produces one mole of Na+ ions and one mole of Cl- ions in solution. Therefore, a mole of NaCl results in a total of two moles of ions, which is essential for understanding the behavior of ionic compounds in solution and their role in various chemical processes.
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