July 1, 2014 (Vol. 34, No. 13)
Rating:
Strong Points: Displays molar mass on element-by-element basis
Weak Points: Must enter formulas, not molecule names
Platform:
iPad
Cost:
Free
Summary:
Like so many of the chemistry calculator apps out there, this molar mass calculator delivers on exactly what was promised…and not much else. However, sometimes simplicity can go a long way and in that regard, students or research scientists who are in the market for a very straightforward app to calculate molar mass will be delighted by this app’s ease of use and clean design. Users must enter the chemical formula for the compound of interest, which does limit the utility of this app in instances when one knows the name of the compound, but not the molecular formula. There is a small dropdown menu of chemical names from which to choose, but the list is very restricted and unlikely to be of much use. Upon entering a chemical formula, the app calculates and displays the molar mass on an element-by-element basis; it is in this way that the app has an advantage over other molar mass calculators, which typical just display the total molar mass.
