Molecular mass Molecular mass Relative molecular mass or molecular weight is the mass of a molecule. It is calculated as the sum of the relative atomic masses of each constituent element multiplied by the number of atoms of that element in the molecular formula. The molecular mass of small to medium size molecules, measured by mass spectrometry, determines stoichiometry. For large molecules such as proteins, methods based on viscosity and light-scattering can be used to determine molecular mass when crystallographic data are not available. Both atomic and molecular masses are usually obtained relative to the mass of the isotope C (carbon 12),
Relative atomic mass requires the sources be terrestrial, natural, and stable with regard to radioactivity. Also, there are requirements for the research process. For 84 stable elements, CIAAW has determined this standard atomic weight. These values are widely published and referred to loosely as 'the' atomic weight of elements for real-life substances like pharmaceuticals and commercial trade. Also, CIAAW has published abridged (rounded) values and simplified values (for when the Earthly sources vary systematically). Atomic mass ("m") is the mass of a single atom, with unit "Da" or "u" (the unified atomic mass unit). It defines the mass of a specific isotope, which