What is the molar mass of glucose, C6H12O6
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The molar mass of glucose (C6H12O6) can be calculated by adding together the molar masses of each element present in one molecule of glucose. The chemical formula for glucose is C6H12O6, which means it contains 6 carbon (C) atoms, 12 hydrogen (H) atoms, and 6 oxygen (O) atoms.
To find the molar mass, you can refer to the atomic masses of each element:
- The atomic mass of carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 g/mol.
- The atomic mass of hydrogen (H) is approximately 1.008 g/mol.
- The atomic mass of oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 g/mol.
Now, multiply the atomic mass of each element by the number of atoms of that element in glucose:
- Carbon: 6 atoms × 12.01 g/mol = 72.06 g/mol
- Hydrogen: 12 atoms × 1.008 g/mol = 12.096 g/mol
- Oxygen: 6 atoms × 16.00 g/mol = 96.00 g/mol
Next, sum these results to get the total molar mass of glucose:
72.06 g/mol (from carbon) + 12.096 g/mol (from hydrogen) + 96.00 g/mol (from oxygen) = 180.156 g/mol.
Thus, the molar mass of glucose is approximately 180.16 g/mol.
Explanation:
Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance and is expressed in grams per mole. A mole refers to 6.022 × 10²³ molecules, known as Avogadro’s number. The molar mass of a compound is found by summing the individual molar masses of the elements that make up the compound, weighted by how many atoms of each element are present in the molecular formula.
In the case of glucose (C6H12O6), the ratio of elements is 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms, and 6 oxygen atoms. When you calculate the total molar mass, you account for all of these elements, which gives you the final value of 180.16 g/mol.
The molar mass is significant in many areas of chemistry, particularly when dealing with chemical reactions, where it helps to determine how much of a substance is needed or produced based on stoichiometric calculations.
