Final answer:
To calculate a molecular formula, the molar mass must be known in addition to performing an elemental analysis. the molecular mass or molar mass is crucial for determining the actual number of atoms in a molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
In addition to the elemental analysis, calculating the molecular formula requires the molar mass.The molecular formula represents the number and types of elemental atoms within a molecule, while the molecular mass or molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance. For molecules like glucose with a molecular formula of C6H12O6, the molecular mass is calculated by adding the atomic masses of the contained elements, reflecting the number and type of atoms.
The molar mass has the same numerical value as the molecular mass for a covalent compound but is expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). When determining molecular formulas, it is crucial to compare the compound's molar mass to its empirical formula mass to establish the number of empirical formula units per molecule of the substance, designated as n.