What is Molecular Weight?
Molecular weight (also called molecular mass) is the sum of the atomic weights of all atoms in a molecule. It's expressed in atomic mass units (u) or daltons (Da), where 1 u = 1.66054 × 10⁻²⁴ grams.
Example: Water (H₂O) = 2×1.008 + 1×15.999 = 18.015 u
How the Calculator Works
- Formula Parsing: Breaks down your chemical formula into individual elements and their quantities
- Element Recognition: Identifies each chemical element using the periodic table
- Count Calculation: Handles parentheses, subscripts, and coefficients correctly
- Mass Lookup: Uses IUPAC standard atomic weights for each element
- Final Calculation: Multiplies each element's count by its atomic mass and sums the total
Supported Formula Types
- Simple compounds: H₂O, NaCl, CO₂, NH₃
- With parentheses: Ca(OH)₂, (NH₄)₂SO₄, Mg(NO₃)₂
- Hydrated salts: CuSO₄·5H₂O, FeSO₄·7H₂O
- Complex molecules: C₆H₁₂O₆, C₄₃H₆₆N₁₂O₁₂S₂
- Ionic compounds: Al₂(SO₄)₃·18H₂O
Technical Features
- Dual Processing: Primary API calculation with JavaScript fallback
- High Precision: Uses IUPAC 2019 standard atomic weights
- Error Handling: Validates formulas and provides helpful error messages
- Progressive Enhancement: Works with or without JavaScript
- Accessibility: Full keyboard navigation and screen reader support
Formula Parsing Rules
- Element symbols are case-sensitive (Ca ≠ CA)
- Numbers after elements indicate quantity (H₂ = 2 hydrogens)
- Parentheses group elements: (SO₄)₂ = 2 sulfate groups
- Use · or * for hydrates: CuSO₄·5H₂O
- Simplified hydrate notation: FeSO4x7H2O (x = water molecules)
- Subscript characters ₁₂₃₄ are automatically converted
- Spaces are ignored in most cases
Data Sources & Accuracy
Atomic masses are sourced from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) standard atomic weights, updated in 2019. These values represent the most accurate and internationally recognized atomic masses available.
Results are calculated with high precision and displayed with appropriate significant figures based on the input formula complexity.