Molar Mass

Molar mass is a physical property defined as the mass of a given substance (chemical element or chemical compound) divided by the amount of substance. It is usually expressed in units of grams per mole (g/mol).

Calculating Molar Mass

The molar mass of an element is determined by looking at the atomic mass of the element on the periodic table. For example, the molar mass of carbon (C) is 12.01 g/mol, and the molar mass of oxygen (O) is 16.00 g/mol.

When calculating the molar mass of a compound, you add up the molar masses of the individual elements in the compound. For example, the molar mass of water (H₂O) can be calculated by adding the molar masses of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom: 2(1.01 g/mol) + 16.00 g/mol = 18.02 g/mol.

Importance of Molar Mass

Molar mass is important in chemistry because it allows us to convert between the mass of a substance and the number of moles of that substance, and vice versa, using the formula:

moles = mass / molar mass

mass = moles × molar mass

Study Guide

1. Understand the concept of molar mass and how it is calculated for elements and compounds.
2. Practice calculating the molar mass of different compounds using the atomic masses from the periodic table.
3. Learn to use the molar mass to convert between mass and moles in chemical equations and stoichiometry problems.
4. Explore real-world applications of molar mass in fields such as chemistry, medicine, and environmental science.

By mastering the concept of molar mass, you will have a better understanding of the quantitative aspects of chemistry and be better equipped to solve various types of chemical problems.

[Molar Mass] Related Worksheets and Study Guides:

• The MoleChemistry • High School