Chemistry

Percent Composition Calculator (Mass Percent)

Enter a formula and an element to get its mass percent and how much is in your sample.

Your numbers

Your results

Mass percent of the element
Mass percent of the element
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Mass of the element in your sample (g)
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Percent composition
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Molar mass of the compound (g/mol)
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Atomic weight of the element
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Percent Composition Calculator (Mass Percent) by TheCalcTools

How the Percent Composition Calculator (Mass Percent) works

Mass percent of an element = (number of its atoms × atomic weight) ÷ molar mass of the compound × 100. The full composition is listed for every element.

Multiply the mass percent by a sample mass to find how much of that element the sample contains, for example the iron in iron ore.

The formula

Mass % = n × A ÷ M × 100

Worked example

Using the default values shown in the calculator:

Chemical formulaFe2O3
Element symbolFe
Sample mass (g)100
  1. Fe2O3 is 159.687 g/mol: Fe 69.94%, O 30.06%.
  2. So iron is 69.94% of the mass, and 100 g of Fe2O3 contains 69.94 g of iron.

Result:

Mass percent of the element69.94%
Mass of the element in your sample (g)69.943
Percent compositionFe 69.94%, O 30.06%
Molar mass of the compound (g/mol)159.687
Atomic weight of the element55.845

Frequently asked questions

Do the percentages add to 100?

Yes, apart from rounding in the last digit.

Sources and further reading

More in Chemistry · All calculators

This calculator gives estimates for information only. Check important results independently before you rely on them. See our disclaimer.