# What exactly does the term “gram atoms” mean?

The term gram-atom (abbreviated gat.) has been used for a related but distinct concept, namely a quantity of a substance that contains Avogadro's number of atoms, whether isolated or combined in molecules. Thus, for example, 1 mole of $\ce{MgB2}$ is 1 gram-molecule of $\ce{MgB2}$ but 3 gram-atoms of $\ce{MgB2}$.

Can anybody explain the difference between moles and gram atoms, and how is it that 1 mole of $\ce{MgB2}$ is 1 gram-molecule of $\ce{MgB2}$ but 3 gram-atoms of $\ce{MgB2}$?

• The molecule has 3 atoms, so ...... – ChemExchange Apr 13 '15 at 15:14

$\ce{MgB2}$ is 1 gram-molecule of $\ce{MgB2}$ but 3 gram-atoms of $\ce{MgB2}$.
If we were asked how many moles of the substance (molecule) were in this, we would state 1 mole, if there were $\pu{45.3 g}$ of substance. However, if we were asked how many moles of atoms were in the substance, we would accordingly state 3. Thus, in one molecule, there are 3 atoms, so if we simply consider the number of atoms, there would be the necessity of counting the number. of atoms in a molecule, as a molecule is comprised of more than a single atom
* This is purely hypothetical. One would probably not consider $\ce{MgB2}$, as J. LS pointed out, it decomposes . However, the concept can be applied to other compounds