The 55M Brand = 

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• What is 55M?  It stands for 55 molar water.

  • This a term in chemistry that refers to the concentration of water in…water.  So, it is really all about water and how many moles of water are in a liter of water.  What is a mole of water?  Well, that is something students who have taken high school or college chemistry know about.  See this website for more details.   I teach about how to calculate the concentration of substances using “molarity” so it becomes a routine number in chemistry to tell others about how much of something is in a solvent.  However, it was always fun to see students do a double-take when I asked them to calculate the concentration of water.  They always freeze in their tracks!

• Why use a weird chemistry measurement to describe water? 

  • First of all, it is a fun thing for general chemistry students to learn and appreciate how calculations are performed in chemistry but this is really about bringing attention to the amazing properties of water.  Water is a very strange chemical substance that we take for granted since we have so much of it.

• What is 55M all about?

  • Water.  Pure water.  Drinkable water.  Salts dissolved in water.  Good, wholesome water.  Water….any water! Our bodies need it.  Our planet needs it.  Life needs it.  Earth is the only planet that we currently know about with liquid water on the surface.  So, 55M is all about water and the amazing chemical properties that it has to sustain life

• How do you do the calculation to get 55M?

  • Here is one way.  There are 1000 g of water in 1.0 L of water due to the density of water being approximately 1.00 g/mL or 1000 g/L.    Using the molar mass of water as 18.02 g/mol to calculate the number of moles in 1000 g.   1000/18.02 = 55 mol (approx). 

  • Thus, there is 55 moles in 1 L of water or 55 mol/L or 55M. 

• Why brand this?

  • Water is an amazing chemical that helps to sustain life.  It has many properties that are either the highest, lowest, or best properties for a variety of parameters living systems need to survive.  I wanted a way to catch people’s attention and connect in a fun way with my general chemistry students.