How many NA+ ions are in a mole of Na2SO4? How many SO4 2- ions?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula of sodium sulfate, which is \( \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 \).
2. Recognize that in one formula unit of \( \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 \), there are 2 \( \text{Na}^+ \) ions and 1 \( \text{SO}_4^{2-} \) ion.
3. Understand that one mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number of entities, which is approximately \( 6.022 \times 10^{23} \) entities per mole.
4. Calculate the number of \( \text{Na}^+ \) ions in one mole of \( \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 \) by multiplying 2 (the number of \( \text{Na}^+ \) ions per formula unit) by Avogadro's number.
5. Calculate the number of \( \text{SO}_4^{2-} \) ions in one mole of \( \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 \) by recognizing that there is 1 \( \text{SO}_4^{2-} \) ion per formula unit, so it is equal to Avogadro's number.

Key Concepts

Mole Concept

The mole is a fundamental unit in chemistry that quantifies the amount of substance. One mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number of entities, approximately 6.022 x 10^23. This concept allows chemists to convert between the mass of a substance and the number of particles, facilitating calculations in chemical reactions.

Ionic Compounds

Ionic compounds are formed from the electrostatic attraction between positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions). In the case of Na2SO4, sodium (Na+) is the cation, and sulfate (SO4 2-) is the anion. Understanding the composition of ionic compounds is essential for determining the number of each type of ion present in a given amount of the compound.

Chemical Formula Interpretation

The chemical formula of a compound provides information about the types and ratios of atoms present. For Na2SO4, the subscript '2' indicates that there are two sodium ions for every sulfate ion. This interpretation is crucial for calculating the number of ions in a mole of the compound, as it directly informs how many of each ion are present based on the mole ratio.