1. What is RNA Molecular Weight?

The molecular weight of an RNA sequence is the sum of the molecular weights of its constituent nucleotides. While often referred to as "peptide" molecular weight calculators, these tools actually calculate nucleic acid molecular weights.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( MW \) — Total molecular weight (g/mol)
• \( MW_{nuc} \) — Molecular weight of each nucleotide (g/mol)

Nucleotide Weights:

• Adenosine (A): 329.2 g/mol
• Uridine (U): 306.2 g/mol
• Cytidine (C): 305.2 g/mol
• Guanosine (G): 345.2 g/mol

3. Importance of RNA Molecular Weight

Details: Knowing the molecular weight of RNA is essential for experimental design, concentration calculations, and stoichiometric measurements in molecular biology research.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the RNA sequence using only A, U, C, or G characters (case insensitive). The calculator will sum the molecular weights of each nucleotide in the sequence.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why are these called peptide calculators when they calculate RNA weights?
A: This is a historical misnomer - many tools were originally designed for peptides but later adapted for nucleic acids while keeping the original naming.

Q2: Does this account for modifications or secondary structure?
A: No, this calculates only the basic molecular weight of unmodified RNA sequences without considering structure.

Q3: How accurate are these calculations?
A: They provide theoretical molecular weights accurate for most standard applications, but actual experimental measurements may vary slightly.

Q4: Can I use lowercase letters in the sequence?
A: Yes, the calculator automatically converts all input to uppercase.

Q5: What about DNA sequences?
A: For DNA sequences, you would need to use different molecular weights (dNTPs instead of NTPs).