Question

Explain five difference between atomic mass molecular mass and formula mass

Answer 1

Answer:

• The atomic mass (ma) is the mass of an atom. Its unit is the unified atomic mass unit (symbol: u, or Da) where 1 unified atomic mass unit is defined as 1⁄12 of the mass of a single carbon-12 atom, at rest.[1] The protons and neutrons of the nucleus account for nearly all of the total mass of atoms, with the electrons and nuclear binding energy making minor contributions. Thus, the atomic mass measured in u has nearly the same value as the mass number.
• The molecular mass (m) is the mass of a given molecule: it is measured in unified atomic mass units (u or Da).[1][2] Different molecules of the same compound may have different molecular masses because they contain different isotopes of an element. The related quantity relative molecular mass, as defined by IUPAC, is the ratio of the mass of a molecule to the unified atomic mass unit and is unitless. The molecular mass and relative molecular mass are distinct from but related to the molar mass. The molar mass is defined as the mass of a given substance divided by the amount of a substance and is expressed in g/mol. The molar mass is usually the more appropriate figure when dealing with macroscopic (weigh-able) quantities of a substance.
• The formula mass of a molecule (also known as formula weight) is the sum of the atomic weights of the atoms in the empirical formula of the compound. Formula weight is given in atomic mass units (amu).