Chem – Calculating the Molar Mass of Compounds

 

How do you calculate the molar mass?

After we have learned how to form these ionic compounds, we can move on to calculating the mass of a compound. This is what teachers will call a molar mass, or atomic mass, or molar weight, or an atomic weight. Most chemistry teachers will use all of those phrases in the previous sentence interchangeably. As far as you need to know, the molar mass, atomic mass, molar weight, or atomic weight are all talking about the same thing and you use the same resource to answer these problems. That resource is the periodic table. At the bottom of each individual element box on the periodic table will be the molar mass of each element. The way to solve the problems is to total up all the masses of the individual atoms. In order to keep the numbers simple and easy to read, I will usually round to the nearest whole number. If you are confused as to what the parenthesis mean then look back to a previous section representing compounds and molecules with subscripts.

 

Examples: Give the molar mass of the compounds or molecules.

H2O 18 g/mol
CO2 44 g/mol
N4S3 152 g/mol
(H3O)3As 130 g/mol
Ra(BrO3)2 482 g/mol

 

VIDEO Calculating Molar Mass Demonstrated Example 1: Give the molar mass of the compound or molecule: Al2S3

 

Step 1:

What is the mass of a single Aluminum?

Answer: 27 g/mol

 

Step 2:

How much Aluminum do we have?

Answer: 2

 

Step 3:

What is the total mass of the Aluminum?

Answer: 2 * 27 g/mol = 54 g/mol

 

Step 4:

What is the mass of a single Sulfur?

Answer: 32 g/mol

 

Step 5:

How much Sulfur do you have?

Answer: 3

 

Step 6:

What is the total mass of the Sulfur?

Answer: 3 * 32 g/mol = 96 g/mol

 

Step 7:

What is the total mass of the compound?

96 g/mol + 54 g/mol = 150 g/mol

COMPLETE ANSWER: 150 g/mol

 

VIDEO Calculating Molar Mass Demonstrated Example 2: Give the molar mass of the compound or molecule: Be(NO3)2

 

Step 1:

What is the mass of a single Beryllium?

Answer: 9 g/mol

 

Step 2:

How much Beryllium do we have?

Answer: 1

 

Step 3:

What is the total mass of the Beryllium?

Answer: 1 * 9 g/mol = 9 g/mol

 

Step 4:

What is the mass of a single Nitrogen?

Answer: 14 g/mol

 

Step 5:

How much Nitrogen do you have?

Answer: 2

 

Step 6:

What is the total mass of the Nitrogen?

Answer: 2 * 14 g/mol = 28 g/mol

 

Step 7:

What is the mass of a single Oxygen?

Answer: 16 g/mol

 

Step 8:

How much Oxygen do we have?

Answer: 6

 

Step 9:

What is the total mass of the Oxygen?

Answer: 6 * 16 g/mol = 96 g/mol

 

Step 10:

What is the total mass of the compound?

96 g/mol + 28 g/mol + 9 g/mol = 133 g/mol

COMPLETE ANSWER: 133 g/mol

 

PRACTICE PROBLEMS: Give the molar mass of the compounds or molecules. Use the periodic table.

BaSe 216 g/mol
Si5As8 740 g/mol
K3P 131 g/mol
CH4 16 g/mol
C6H12O6 180 g/mol
BClF2 84 g/mol
(NH4)3P 85 g/mol
Pb(Cr2O7)2 639 g/mol
Ba(C2H3O2)2 255 g/mol

 

We will be reviewing the molar mass continuously throughout the first half of chemistry, so make sure you know how to solve the above problems and keep the techniques in mind.

 

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