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What is a mole in chemistry?

A mole (symbol Mol) is the base unit of quantity of a substance in the metric system. A mole is the quantity of a substance that contains 6.02 x 10²³ units. A "unit" is the smallest measurable entity in the substance, generally either an atom or a molecule. The number of units in a mole was determined by Italian chemist (a scientist specializing in the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter) Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1856), one of the founders of modern physical chemistry. For this reason, the value 6.02 x 10²³ is called Avogadro's number. One mole of a substance is equal to the substance's atomic weight (the average weight of an atom of an element) or molecular weight, in grams.

Sources: The Biographical Dictionary of Scientists: Chemists, pp. 12-13; Henrickson, Charles H. Chemistry for the Health Professions, pp. 66-67.

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1. Chemists And Chemical Principles
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1. Albert Einstein