Question

One mole of iron III sulfate, `Fe_2(SO_4)_3`, contains how many moles of `SO_4^-2` ions? How many moles of O atoms?

Answer 1

`"1 mole of ferric sulfate"` contains 2 moles of iron, and 12 moles of oxygen atoms, and three moles of sulfate ions.

Explanation:

Here, we use the mole as we would use any other collective number: a dozen eggs; a Bakers' dozen; a Botany Bay dozen.

Of course, the mole specifies a much larger quantity, and if I have a mole of stuff then I have `6.022xx10^23` individual items of that stuff. We can also specify an equivalent mass, because we also know the mass of a mole of iron, and a mole of oxygen etc........The mole is thus the link between the macro world of grams and kilograms and litres, that which we can measure out in the lab, to the micro world of atoms, and molecules, that which we can perceive only indirectly.

Here we have the formula unit `Fe_2(SO_4)_3`. If there is a mole of formula units, there are necessarily 2 moles of iron atoms, 3 sulfate ions,.......etc.