Every year, several students and teachers at SHS -as well as schools all over the world- celebrate Mole Day on Oct. 23. This day is important to the scientific community as it commemorates Avagadro’s Number, 6.022 x 1023, which is also known as the mole. This number is fundamental to the study of chemistry as most calculations cannot be done without involving the mole.
The mole usually represents a group of atoms, specifically 6.022 x 1023 of them. It is especially significant because without it, scientists would not be able to measure or account for microscopic particles. “Without moles, which are [similar to] dozens or pairs, we wouldn’t be able to count atoms because we can’t count individual atoms. We can only count groups, so we [need] something like a mole…it’s absolutely critical for us to do any chemistry,” said Mr. Geyer, a chemistry teacher at SHS.
According to the National Mole Day Foundation, Mole Day was originally created as a way to spark interest in chemistry. With this purpose in mind, several schools celebrate Mole Day by having students participate in all kinds of fun activities pertaining to the mole. This tradition is even present here at SHS, with some of the chemistry classes participating in a multi-stage relay race. “One part of the relay race [is] the ‘blind mole race’ … [One] person on [a] team has a pair of goggles [that] have aluminum foil over them so you can’t see [through] the front, only [through] the sides, and they have to run 6.02 meters on a racetrack,” Mr. Geyer said.
But not every part of the relay race is related to the actual value of the mole. Because of the fact that an animal goes by the same name as this significant number, chemistry students and teachers often involve the animal in their fun. They also include fun puns that use the word. “The [third] part of [the] relay race is a crossword-type puzzle…that reveals the name of a teacher [who] is usually holding a mole hostage, [so] we have to ransom the mole with either an ‘oatmole’ cookie or a ‘moleasses’ cookie,” Mr. Geyer added.
Furthermore, chemistry students and teachers commemorate Mole Day by wearing special Mole Day t-shirts. The design of this t-shirt changes every year based on a specific event from that year, with some designs in the past being “Molar Eclipse” in 2012, “MOLEvengers” in 2017, and “HaMOLEton” in 2021. This year’s design is “Sherlock Molmes,” likely because of the related recently-released musical.
Although Mole Day is important to the scientific community, you do not need to be part of a chemistry class at SHS to celebrate it. Simply wearing a Mole Day t-shirt can demonstrate your Mole Day spirit. Even just silently appreciating the mole, which is essential to all of chemistry, is more than enough to celebrate Mole Day on your own.
Because the mole is so significant and necessary to scientists, it is important to appreciate such a discovery. So, while you’re in the hallway or in class, take a look around and try to spot as many students wearing Mole Day t-shirts as you can. If you see one, be sure to remember how only one number can have such a big impact on the world around us.
