1. What is Molar Mass?

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance (chemical element or chemical compound). It is a physical property defined as the mass of a given substance divided by the amount of substance in moles.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( MW \) — Molar mass (g/mol)
• \( \text{atomic masses} \) — Standard atomic weights of elements
• \( \text{counts} \) — Number of atoms of each element in the formula

Explanation: The calculator sums the atomic masses of all atoms in the chemical formula to determine the molar mass.

3. Importance of Molar Mass

Details: Molar mass is essential for converting between grams and moles, preparing solutions, stoichiometric calculations, and determining empirical formulas from percent composition.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the chemical formula using standard notation (e.g., H2O for water, C6H12O6 for glucose). The calculator recognizes element symbols and subscripts.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between molecular weight and molar mass?
A: While often used interchangeably, molecular weight refers to the mass of one molecule (in atomic mass units), while molar mass refers to the mass of one mole of a substance (in grams per mole).

Q2: How do I calculate molar mass for hydrates?
A: Include the water molecules in the formula (e.g., CuSO4·5H2O). The calculator will sum all atoms including those in water molecules.

Q3: What about ionic compounds?
A: Enter the empirical formula (e.g., NaCl for sodium chloride). The calculator works for both molecular and ionic compounds.

Q4: How accurate are the results?
A: Results are based on standard atomic weights (IUPAC values). For very precise work, use isotope-specific masses.

Q5: Can I use parentheses in formulas?
A: This basic version doesn't support parentheses. For complex formulas, calculate each part separately and sum the results.