# What if you had a mole of moles?

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLlwvmu1ZeA
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/lLlwvmu1ZeA
Generated: 2025-08-19T16:32:43.065+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Gathering a mole of moles (approximately 6.022 x 10^23 of them) would result in a mass roughly equivalent to half the mass of the Moon, forming a planet-sized sphere with significant gravitational pull and internal pressure.

**Key Points:**
- Gathering one mole of moles (6.022 x 10^23 individuals) would create a mass of approximately 4.52 x 10^22 kg.
- This mass is equivalent to about half the mass of the Moon.
- Gravity would compact the moles into a spherical planet with a core pressure of 100 MPa.
- The extreme pressure and heat would cause decomposition into kerogen, potentially forming oil.
- The planet would develop a 'mole crust,' convection currents, and 'mole volcanoes' ejecting gases.
- Over time, the planet would freeze into a solid mass of moles.
- The sheer number of moles involved vastly exceeds the current population of any single species on Earth.

![Screenshot at 00:01: A stick figure character is presented with the question: "What would happen if you were to gather a mole \(unit of measurement of moles \(the small furry critter\)\) in one place?"](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-00-01.png)

**Context:** This video is part of the xkcd "What If?" series, which explores hypothetical scientific questions. It addresses a query about the consequences of gathering an immense quantity of moles, specifically one mole of the small, furry burrowing animals.

## Detailed Analysis

The video explores the hypothetical scenario of gathering one mole of moles, defined by Avogadro's number (6.022 x 10^23) of the furry creatures. It first clarifies the scientific definition of a mole as a unit of measurement for a vast number of particles. An average mole weighs about 75 grams, leading to the calculation that one mole of moles would weigh approximately 4.52 x 10^22 kilograms. This mass is compared to celestial bodies, revealing it's about half the mass of the Moon. The video then visualizes this accumulation, showing how gravity would pull the moles together into a spherical shape. The immense pressure at the core, estimated at 100 megapascals, would be enough to kill bacteria and lead to the decomposition of the mole bodies into kerogen. Over geological timescales, this kerogen could potentially form oil if heated. The outer layer would become a 'mole crust,' and internal convection currents would drive 'mole volcanoes' that eject gases like methane and air from the moles' lungs, eventually leading to a frozen, inert 'solid mole' planet over millennia. The video also touches on the vastness of space, suggesting that if only 1 in 100 habitable planets were populated by moles, the total number of moles could reach one mole within a few million years of evolutionary time.

### Definition of a Mole

- A unit of measurement representing 6.022 x 10^23 particles
- Not a typical unit like kilograms or kilometers

### Calculating the Mass of a Mole of Moles

- An average mole weighs 75g, so one mole of moles weighs approximately 4.52 x 10^22 kg

### Comparison to Celestial Bodies

- Mass is about half that of the Moon

### Formation of a Mole Planet

- Gravity pulls moles into a sphere
- Core pressure of 100 MPa kills bacteria
- Decomposition into kerogen, potentially forming oil
- Outer layer becomes 'mole crust' with convection currents and 'mole volcanoes'
- Ejection of methane and air
- Eventual freezing into a solid planet

### Molehills in the Universe

- If 1 in 100 habitable planets had moles, total population could reach one mole in 2-3 million years

![Screenshot at 00:01: A stick figure character is presented with the question: "What would happen if you were to gather a mole \(unit of measurement of moles \(the small furry critter\)\) in one place?"](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-00-01.png)
![Screenshot at 00:14: The whiteboard displays "A MOLE:" followed by examples of units like 'DOZEN', 'HUNDRED', 'GROSS', and 'BILLION'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-00-14.png)
![Screenshot at 00:27: The number 602,214,129,000,000,000,000,000 is written on the board, representing "A MOLE:".](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-00-27.png)
![Screenshot at 00:37: The number 602,214,076,000,000,000,000,000 is written in red, with a line through the previous number, indicating an updated value for a mole.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-00-37.png)
![Screenshot at 01:11: The number 602,214,076,000,000,000,000,000 is displayed, with the text "ONE MOLE" above it.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-01-11.png)
![Screenshot at 01:41: The number representing one mole is shown with arrows indicating its length, compared to "ONE TRILLION" and "ONE TRILLION" again, illustrating scale.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-01-41.png)
![Screenshot at 02:05: The calculation for the mass of one mole of moles is shown: 75g \(per mole\) x 6.022 x 10^23 moles ≈ 4.52 x 10^22 kg.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-02-05.png)
![Screenshot at 02:25: A diagram shows the Earth's layers with "MOLES" forming a thick layer above the crust, displacing air into space.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-02-25.png)
![Screenshot at 03:23: A cross-section of the 'mole planet' shows a 'MOLE CORE,' 'MOLE CONVECTION CURRENTS,' 'MOLE CRUST,' 'MOLE VOLCANOES,' and 'MOLE EJECTUM.'](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-03-23.png)
![Screenshot at 03:43: The 'mole planet' is shown as a solid, grey sphere with a fuzzy outer layer, labeled "SOLID MOLES."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/lLlwvmu1ZeA/00-03-43.png)