Why is it useful to use moles to measure chemical quantities in chemistry?

• A. Because the mole is a unit that measures only the volume of a substance.
• B. Because the mole is used exclusively for measuring temperature changes in reactions.
• C. Because the mole is a unit that represents the concentration of a solution.
• D. Because the mole allows chemists to count atoms, molecules, or ions by relating mass to number of particles.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that in chemistry, substances are made up of extremely small particles such as atoms, molecules, or ions, which are too numerous to count individually.
2. Recognize that the mole is a fundamental unit in chemistry that provides a bridge between the microscopic world (number of particles) and the macroscopic world (mass of a substance).
3. Know that one mole corresponds to exactly \$6.022 \times 10^{23}$ particles, a number known as Avogadro's number, allowing chemists to count particles by weighing substances.
4. Realize that using moles allows chemists to relate the mass of a substance to the number of particles it contains, making it easier to perform calculations involving chemical reactions and stoichiometry.
5. Conclude that the mole is useful because it standardizes the way chemists measure and communicate amounts of substances, enabling accurate and consistent chemical analysis.