Molecular mass, or molar mass, is the mass of one mole of a substance. It gives you the weight of a molecule based on the individual atomic masses of each element present in the molecule. To calculate the molecular mass of a compound, add up the atomic masses of all the atoms in its chemical formula. This mass is expressed in grams per mole (g/mol).For ethanol, the molecular formula is \(\text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH}\). Let's break it down:
- Carbon (C): 12.01 g/mol, with 2 carbon atoms, giving you \(2 \times 12.01 = 24.02\) g/mol.
- Hydrogen (H): 1.01 g/mol, with 6 hydrogen atoms, totaling \(6 \times 1.01 = 6.06\) g/mol.
- Oxygen (O): 16.00 g/mol, and there's one oxygen atom, so \(1 \times 16.00 = 16.00\) g/mol.
Add these together to get the molar mass of ethanol as 46.08 g/mol. Understanding molecular mass is fundamental for converting between moles and grams when working with chemical reactions.