What is the molar mass of magnesium chloride, MgCl2?

To determine the molar mass of magnesium chloride (MgCl2), it is essential to sum the molar masses of the constituent elements: magnesium (Mg) and chlorine (Cl).

Magnesium has a molar mass of approximately 24.305 g/mole. Chlorine, on the other hand, has a molar mass of about 35.453 g/mole. Since there are two chlorine atoms in magnesium chloride, the contribution from chlorine to the total molar mass must be calculated accordingly.

The calculation proceeds as follows:

1. Calculate the mass of one magnesium atom: 24.305 g/mole.

2. Calculate the mass of two chlorine atoms: 2 × 35.453 g/mole = 70.906 g/mole.

3. Add the two contributions together:

24.305 g/mole (Mg) + 70.906 g/mole (2 Cl) = 95.211 g/mole.

Thus, the molar mass of magnesium chloride (MgCl2) is 95.211 g/mole, making that the correct answer. The analysis reflects an understanding of how to calculate molar mass by aggregating the contributions from each element based on their respective quantities