Moles Calculator

The Mole Is Chemistry's Unit of Counting

Atoms and molecules are far too small and numerous to count individually, so chemistry counts them in bundles of roughly 6.022 × 1023 at a time — a mole. Converting between a mass you can weigh on a balance and a mole count you can use in a reaction equation is one of the most frequent calculations in any lab, and it depends entirely on knowing the substance's molar mass.

The Formula

Moles = Mass (g) ÷ Molar Mass (g/mol)

Rearranged, this also gives mass from a known mole count: Mass = Moles × Molar Mass. This calculator accepts either a molar mass you already know, or a chemical formula it can parse and weigh for you automatically.

Where This Calculation Matters

  • Weighing out reagents — a synthesis procedure specifying "0.5 mol of NaOH" needs converting to grams before anything gets measured on a balance.
  • Stoichiometric calculations — every reactant-to-product conversion in a balanced equation runs through moles, not mass, so this conversion is a required first step.
  • Preparing solutions — molarity calculations need a mole count derived from a measured mass of solute.
  • Verifying a synthesis yield — comparing moles produced to moles of limiting reactant reveals percent yield.

Moles from 10 Grams of Common Compounds

Computed from Moles = Mass ÷ Molar Mass, using a fixed 10 g sample
CompoundMolar Mass (g/mol)Moles in 10 g
Water (H2O)18.0150.5551 mol
Sodium chloride (NaCl)58.4400.1711 mol
Glucose (C6H12O6)180.1560.0555 mol
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)39.9970.2500 mol

Values computed by dividing 10 g by each compound's molar mass (from the molar mass calculator's atomic weight table) and rounding to four decimal places.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter the Mass (g) of the sample.
  2. Provide either the Molar Mass (g/mol) directly, or switch to entering a Chemical Formula (e.g. H2O) and let the calculator determine the molar mass itself.
  3. Select Calculate to get the number of moles.

Related Calculations

Don't know the molar mass off-hand? The Molar Mass Calculator parses any formula and computes it for you. Once you have a mole count, convert it into a solution concentration with the Molarity Calculator.