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Relative Formula Mass

Compounds have a relative formula mass, M

  • If you have a compound like MgCl2 then it has a relative formula mass, M, which is just the relative atomic masses of all the atoms in the molecular formula added together

  • Calculating relative formula mass is straight forward enough, but things can get a bit more confusing when you start working the percentage compositions of compounds

You can calculate the % mass of an element in a compounds

  • Percentage mass of an element in a compounds = Ar x number of atoms of that element / Mr of the compounds x 100

  • These questions may involve recurring decimals but you will always have a calculator so you should be able to work it out

Calculating relative formula mass

  • The relative formula mass of a substance made up of molecules is the sum of the relative atomic masses of the atoms in the numbers shown in the formula.

  • Relative formula mass has the symbol, Mr. To calculate the Mr for a substance:

  1. work out how many atoms of each element there are in the chemical formula

  2. add together the Ar values for all the atoms of each element present

Relative Formula Mass

Compounds have a relative formula mass, M

  • If you have a compound like MgCl2 then it has a relative formula mass, M, which is just the relative atomic masses of all the atoms in the molecular formula added together

  • Calculating relative formula mass is straight forward enough, but things can get a bit more confusing when you start working the percentage compositions of compounds

You can calculate the % mass of an element in a compounds

  • Percentage mass of an element in a compounds = Ar x number of atoms of that element / Mr of the compounds x 100

  • These questions may involve recurring decimals but you will always have a calculator so you should be able to work it out

Calculating relative formula mass

  • The relative formula mass of a substance made up of molecules is the sum of the relative atomic masses of the atoms in the numbers shown in the formula.

  • Relative formula mass has the symbol, Mr. To calculate the Mr for a substance:

  1. work out how many atoms of each element there are in the chemical formula

  2. add together the Ar values for all the atoms of each element present

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