Answered

Which best compares 1 mol of sodium chloride to 1 mol of aluminum chloride?

A. Both have the same molar mass.
B. Both have the same number of ions.
C. Both are made up of [tex]$6.02 \times 10^{23}$[/tex] molecules.
D. Both are made up of [tex]$6.02 \times 10^{23}$[/tex] formula units.



Answer :

Let's compare 1 mole of sodium chloride (NaCl) and 1 mole of aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) by examining the nature of these compounds and the properties of moles.

### Step-by-Step Solution

1. Nature of Compounds:
- Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an ionic compound consisting of sodium ions (Na⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻).
- Aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) is also an ionic compound consisting of aluminum ions (Al³⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻).

2. Mole Concept:
- A mole is a unit in chemistry that denotes 6.02 × 10²³ entities (Avogadro's number). For ionic compounds, these entities are formula units.

3. Comparing Molar Masses:
- The molar mass of NaCl (sodium chloride) is approximately 58.44 g/mol.
- The molar mass of AlCl₃ (aluminum chloride) is approximately 133.33 g/mol.
- Therefore, they do not have the same molar mass.

4. Number of Ions in 1 Mole:
- NaCl:
- 1 mole of NaCl contains 6.02 × 10²³ NaCl formula units.
- Each formula unit of NaCl consists of 1 Na⁺ ion and 1 Cl⁻ ion.
- Total ions in 1 mole of NaCl = 6.02 × 10²³ (Na⁺ ions) + 6.02 × 10²³ (Cl⁻ ions) = 2 × 6.02 × 10²³ ions.
- AlCl₃:
- 1 mole of AlCl₃ contains 6.02 × 10²³ AlCl₃ formula units.
- Each formula unit of AlCl₃ consists of 1 Al³⁺ ion and 3 Cl⁻ ions.
- Total ions in 1 mole of AlCl₃ = 1 × 6.02 × 10²³ (Al³⁺ ion) + 3 × 6.02 × 10²³ (Cl⁻ ions) = 4 × 6.02 × 10²³ ions.
- Therefore, they do not have the same number of ions.

5. Number of Molecules:
- NaCl and AlCl₃ are ionic compounds, not molecular compounds. We describe them in terms of formula units, not molecules.

6. Number of Formula Units:
- 1 mole of any compound, regardless of its type, consists of 6.02 × 10²³ formula units.
- Thus, both 1 mole of NaCl and 1 mole of AlCl₃ contain 6.02 × 10²³ formula units.

### Conclusion
The correct comparison is that both 1 mole of sodium chloride and 1 mole of aluminum chloride are made up of [tex]\(6.02 \times 10^{23}\)[/tex] formula units.

Answer: Both are made up of [tex]$6.02 \times 10^{23}$[/tex] formula units.