centimoles

Centimole is a unit of amount of substance defined as one hundredth of a mole. The centimole, abbreviated cmol, equals 0.01 mole. Although valid under SI prefixes, centimoles are uncommon in everyday chemistry, with millimoles (mmol) used far more frequently for small quantities.

One centimole equals 0.01 mole, so 1 mole equals 100 centimoles. In terms of particles, 1 cmol corresponds to 0.01 mol × Avogadro's number (6.022×10^23) ≈ 6.022×10^21 particles.

The mass of a substance corresponding to a given amount n cmol is m = n × M, where M is the molar mass in g/mol. For example, 2 cmol of NaCl (M = 58.44 g/mol) has a mass of 2 × 0.01 × 58.44 = 1.1688 g. Likewise, 0.5 cmol of glucose (M = 180.16 g/mol) equals 0.005 × 180.16 = 0.9008 g.

Usage and practicality: centimoles are rarely employed in modern practice; more common units are millimoles or moles. In terms of concentration, cmol/L would be 0.01 mol/L, but molarity is typically expressed in mol/L or mmol/L. When present, centimoles serve mainly historical or niche purposes rather than routine laboratory work.

See also: mole, millimole, Avogadro's number, molar mass.