Final answer:
Using moles = mass/RFM, you calculate the number of molecules or formula units of a compound. Each mole corresponds to Avogadro's number of particles, which can be atoms, molecules, ions, or formula units depending on the substance and its chemical composition.
Step-by-step explanation:
When using the formula moles = mass/RFM (relative formula mass), you are calculating the number of moles of the compound. From the mole calculation, you can determine the number of molecules if dealing with a molecular compound, or the number of formula units if dealing with an ionic compound. Each mole of a compound equates to Avogadro's number of molecules or formula units, which is 6.022 × 10²³. Therefore, if you wanted to find the number of specific particles, such as atoms or ions, in a compound, you would need to take into account the stoichiometry of the compound, breaking it down into its elemental components.
For example, in 1 mole of glucose (C₆H₁12O₆) there are 6 moles of carbon, 12 moles of hydrogen, and 6 moles of oxygen atoms, which means there are 6 × Avogadro's number of carbon atoms, 12 × Avogadro's number of hydrogen atoms, and 6 × Avogadro's number of oxygen atoms in one mole of glucose.