What does the molar mass of an element represent?

Question

anonymous · Answer

Molar mass is the sum of the masses of all the atoms in a compound.

jfraser · Answer

the molar mass is the mass of a very specific number of atoms or molecules. The molar mass of an element is the mass of 6.02*10^23 of those atoms. 1 mole of any object is 6.02*10^23 of those things. Just like "a dozen" always represents a specific number of objects, "a mole" always represents that large number of objects. Since each kind of atom or element has a different mass, we can't compare 2 different substances based just on how much 2 piles of those 2 substances weigh. We have to compare them based on the number of objects in that pile. Molar mass is how we relate mass to quantity of objects.