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 crucial for various chemical calculations.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the following principle:

Where:

• \( MW \) — Molecular weight in g/mol
• Each element's contribution is its atomic mass multiplied by its count in the molecule

Explanation: The calculator parses the chemical formula, identifies each element and its count, then sums their atomic masses.

3. Importance of Molecular Weight

Details: Molecular weight is essential for preparing solutions, stoichiometric calculations, determining empirical formulas, and in 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). Element symbols are case-sensitive (first letter uppercase, second lowercase if present).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between molecular weight and molar mass?
A: They are numerically equivalent but molecular weight refers to single molecules while molar mass refers to a mole (6.022×10²³ molecules) of substance.

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

Q3: Does the calculator work for complex formulas?
A: It handles basic formulas well. For complex formulas with parentheses or charges, specialized software may be needed.

Q4: Why are atomic masses not whole numbers?
A: Most elements have multiple isotopes with different masses, and the atomic mass reflects their natural abundance-weighted average.

Q5: How accurate are the calculated molecular weights?
A: The calculator uses standard atomic weights. For precise work, use exact isotopic masses and consider isotopic composition.