Final answer:
Counting a mole (6.022 × 10^23 particles) of rice grains at a rate of one grain every 0.5 seconds would take approximately 9.54 × 10^15 years, demonstrating the enormity of Avogadro's number.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating Time to Count a Mole of Rice Grains
First, let's clarify what a mole is in the context of chemistry. A mole is Avogadro's number of particles, which is equivalent to 6.022 × 1023 particles. Understanding the magnitude of this number helps to appreciate why counting a mole of anything, even something as tangible as rice grains, is an almost insurmountable task.
If it takes one second to count two grains of rice, then to count one grain takes 0.5 seconds. To find out how many seconds it takes to count Avogadro's number of grains, we multiply 0.5 seconds per grain by 6.022 × 1023 grains:
- Time in seconds = 0.5 × 6.022 × 1023 = 3.011 × 1023 seconds.
- Time in years (using 31,536,000 seconds per year) = 3.011 × 1023 seconds × (1 year / 31,536,000 seconds) ≈ 9.54 × 1015 years.
Thus, it would take approximately 9.54 × 1015 years to count a mole of rice grains, which is far beyond any practical or even imaginable timescale.