1. What is Molecular Mass?

Molecular mass (or molecular weight) is the sum of the atomic masses of all the atoms in a molecule. It's expressed in atomic mass units (u) or grams per mole (g/mol).

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( MW \) — Molecular weight (g/mol)
• atomic masses — Standard atomic weights of elements
• counts — Number of each atom in the molecule

Explanation: The calculator parses the chemical formula, looks up each element's atomic mass, multiplies by the atom count, and sums all values.

3. Importance of Molecular Mass

Details: Molecular mass is essential for stoichiometric calculations, preparing molar solutions, determining empirical formulas, and analyzing reaction yields.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the chemical formula using standard notation (e.g., H2O, C6H12O6). Case matters - element symbols start with uppercase (Na for sodium, not na).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between molecular mass and molar mass?
A: They're numerically identical but molecular mass refers to single molecules (in amu) while molar mass refers to a mole of molecules (in g/mol).

Q2: How are atomic masses determined?
A: Atomic masses are weighted averages of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element, based on their abundance.

Q3: Does the calculator work for ionic compounds?
A: Yes, it calculates formula mass for both molecular and ionic compounds (e.g., NaCl).

Q4: What about hydrates or complex formulas?
A: For hydrates (e.g., CuSO4·5H2O), enter as CuSO4H10O5. Parentheses aren't currently supported.

Q5: Why might my calculation differ slightly from published values?
A: Small differences may occur due to rounding of atomic masses or use of different isotope abundance data.