Definition:Avogadro's Number/Mistake

Source Work

1969: J.C. Anderson, D.M. Hum, B.G. Neal and J.H. Whitelaw: Data and Formulae for Engineering Students (2nd ed.):

$3.$ Physical Constants

This mistake can be seen in the $1969$ edition as published by Pergamon International.

Mistake

Avogadro's number $\qquad \mathrm N \qquad = 6.023 \times 10^{26} \mathrm {/ kg \, mole}$

Correction

Avogadro's number is actually $6.02214 \, 076 \times 10^{23}$.

While the conversion factor given here is more-or-less correct (according to the available techniques at the time), the factor of $10^{26}$ is for the number of particles in a kilogram-mole, not a mole.

Hence what is given here is not actually Avogadro's number.

The $6.023$, as opposed to the expected $6.022$, arises from the fact that before $1971$ there was no clear consensus of exactly what the number actually was.

Note that the volume in question was published before the $1971$ redefinition of the mole.

Sources

• 1969: J.C. Anderson, D.M. Hum, B.G. Neal and J.H. Whitelaw: Data and Formulae for Engineering Students (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $3.$ Physical Constants