MadSci Network: Science History |
We got to "mole" from "molecule" because people, being human, like to abbreviate. In fact, I think the original term was something like "molecule-equivalent," so you can see that the urge to abbreviate must have been strong! I suspect that the word "mole" came from the three-letter abbreviation "mol". It has no more to do with a small furry burrowing mammal than that spot of pigment on Greta Garbo's cheek. Dan Berger MadSci Administrator
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Science History.