| Mole Day | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Chemists, Chemistry enthusiasts, Students |
| Type | Academic |
| Significance | Avogadro constant |
| Begins | 6:02 am on October 23 |
| Ends | 6:02 pm on October 23 |
| Date | October 23 |
| Next time | 23 October 2026 (2026-10-23) |
| Frequency | Annual |
Mole Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated among chemists, chemistry students, and chemistry enthusiasts on October 23 between 6:02 a.m. and 6:02 p.m.,1234 making the date 6:02 10/23 in either MDY or YMD date formats. The time and date are derived from the Avogadro constant, which is approximately 6.02×1023, defining the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in one mole (mol) of substance, one of the seven base SI units.
Overview
Mole Day originated from a celebration by educator Margaret Christoph.5 She wrote an article about her experiences in The Science Teacher in the 1980s.6 Inspired by this article, Maurice Oehler, a high school chemistry teacher from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, founded the National Mole Day Foundation (NMDF) on May 15, 1991.6
Many high schools around the United States, South Africa, Australia, and Canada celebrate Mole Day as a way to get their students interested in chemistry, with various activities often related to chemistry or moles.6
The American Chemical Society sponsors National Chemistry Week,1 which occurs from the Sunday through Saturday during which October 23 falls. This makes Mole Day an integral part of National Chemistry Week.7
References
References
- "National Chemistry Week Celebrates 20 Years", Chemical & Engineering News, vol. 85, no. 51, December 17, 2007, archived from the original on October 5, 2008, retrieved February 14, 2010
- This Week in Chemical History, American Chemical Society, archived from the original on July 24, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2010
- "Chemistry In The Spotlight", Chemical & Engineering News, vol. 88, no. 50, December 13, 2010, archived from the original on October 5, 2008, retrieved February 14, 2010
- "Chemical club wins national recognition". Central Michigan Life. September 27, 2004. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - Christoph, Margaret (October 1985). "Mole day". The Science Teacher. 52 (7): 47–48. JSTOR 24145769. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- "History of National Mole Day Foundation, Inc". moleday.org. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
- "Celebrate National Chemistry Week 2017 with Resources from ACS". American Chemical Society. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
External links
External links
- Maurice Oehler obituary Archived February 5, 2021, at the Wayback Machine