Question

Which must be the same when comparing 1 mol of oxygen, O2, with 1 mol of carbon monoxide has, CO?

Answer 1

Answer: 1 mol of oxygen, O₂, and 1 mol of CO will have the same number of molecules, and the same number of atoms.

Justification:


Althought the question is too open, other answers may arise, the most remarkable similarity between the two compounds is that both are diatomic.

That means that both molecules oxygen, O₂, and carbon monoxide, CO have two atoms.

So, 1 mol of oxygen, O₂, and 1 mol of CO will have the same number of molecules, and the same number of atoms.


You must remember that 1 mol means a specific number. It is Avogadro's number, which is 6.022 × 10 ²³.

So 1 mol of CO and 1 mol of O₂ are the same number of representative particles: 6.022 ×10²³ molecules eac, and two times that number of atoms each (since each molecule has two atoms).