Mole Day
Encyclopedia
Mole Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated among chemists on October 23, between 6:02 AM and 6:02 PM, making the date 6:02 10/23 in the American style of writing dates. The time and date are derived from Avogadro's number
, which is approximately 6.02×1023, defining the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in one mole
of substance, one of the seven base SI
units.
Mole Day originated in an article in The Science Teacher in the early 1980s. Inspired by this article, Maurice Oehler, now a retired high school
chemistry
teacher from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
, founded the National Mole Day Foundation (NMDF) on May 15, 1991.
Many high schools around the United States
, South Africa
, Australia
and in Canada
celebrate Mole Day as a way to get their students interested in chemistry, with various activities often related to chemistry or mole
s.
Avogadro's number
In chemistry and physics, the Avogadro constant is defined as the ratio of the number of constituent particles N in a sample to the amount of substance n through the relationship NA = N/n. Thus, it is the proportionality factor that relates the molar mass of an entity, i.e...
, which is approximately 6.02×1023, defining the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in one mole
Mole (unit)
The mole is a unit of measurement used in chemistry to express amounts of a chemical substance, defined as an amount of a substance that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 12 grams of pure carbon-12 , the isotope of carbon with atomic weight 12. This corresponds to a value...
of substance, one of the seven base SI
Si
Si, si, or SI may refer to :- Measurement, mathematics and science :* International System of Units , the modern international standard version of the metric system...
units.
Mole Day originated in an article in The Science Teacher in the early 1980s. Inspired by this article, Maurice Oehler, now a retired high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
teacher from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821....
, founded the National Mole Day Foundation (NMDF) on May 15, 1991.
Many high schools around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
celebrate Mole Day as a way to get their students interested in chemistry, with various activities often related to chemistry or mole
Mole (unit)
The mole is a unit of measurement used in chemistry to express amounts of a chemical substance, defined as an amount of a substance that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 12 grams of pure carbon-12 , the isotope of carbon with atomic weight 12. This corresponds to a value...
s.
Themes
| Year | Theme |
|---|---|
| 1991 | The Mole The Merrier |
| 1992 | Go For The Mole |
| 1993 | Mole Out The Barrrel |
| 1994 | An Ace in The Mole |
| 1995 | Moledi Gras |
| 1996 | Molemorial Day |
| 1997 | We Dig Chemistry |
| 1998 | Ride the Molercoaster |
| 1999 | It's A MOLE World |
| 2000 | Celebrate the Molennium |
| 2001 | Molar Odyssey |
| 2002 | Molar Reflections |
| 2003 | Rock "n" Mole |
| 2004 | Pi a la MOLE |
| 2005 | Moles-Go-Round |
| 2006 | Mole Madness |
| 2007 | Secret Agent Double Mole Seven in Moles are Forever |
| 2008 | Remember the Alamole |
| 2009 | Molar Express |
| 2010 | Moles of the Caribbean |
| 2011 | Moles of the Round Table |
| 2012 | Molar Eclipse |
Alternate observances
- Some schools celebrate "Mole Week" around October 23.
- The American Chemical Society sponsors National Chemistry WeekNational Chemistry WeekNational Chemistry Week is an annual event held in the USA to raise public awareness of the importance of chemistry in everyday life. It is coordinated by the American Chemical Society ....
, which occurs from the Sunday through Saturday during October in which the 23rd falls. This makes Mole Day an integral part of National Chemistry Week.