1. What is Molecular Weight?

Molecular weight (MW) is the sum of the atomic weights of all atoms in a molecule. It's expressed in atomic mass units (amu) or grams per mole (g/mol) and is fundamental in chemistry for stoichiometric calculations.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the molecular weight formula:

Explanation: The calculator parses the chemical formula, identifies each element and its count, then sums the atomic weights of all atoms.

3. Importance of Molecular Weight

Details: Molecular weight is crucial for preparing solutions, determining reaction yields, calculating molarity, and in various analytical techniques like mass spectrometry.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the chemical formula using standard notation (e.g., H2O for water, C6H12O6 for glucose). Case matters - element symbols start with uppercase letters.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between molecular weight and molar mass?
A: They are numerically identical but molar mass is expressed in grams per mole (g/mol) while molecular weight is dimensionless.

Q2: How accurate is this calculator?
A: Accuracy depends on the atomic weight database used. This calculator uses standard atomic weights.

Q3: Does it work for complex formulas?
A: It handles basic formulas well. For complex formulas with parentheses or charges, a more advanced parser would be needed.

Q4: What about isotopes?
A: This calculator uses average atomic weights accounting for natural isotope abundance. For specific isotopes, use exact masses.

Q5: Can I use this for ionic compounds?
A: Yes, but enter the empirical formula (e.g., NaCl for sodium chloride).