- 1). Determine all the chemical components of the particle by examining its chemical equation. For instance, one molecule of silicon dioxide, or silica sand, has a chemical formula of SiO2. This means that there is one atom of silica and two atoms of oxygen in each molecule.
- 2). Find the atomic mass of the elements on the periodic table. This is usually a decimal number written above or below the chemical symbol. The atomic mass is equal to that element's molar mass, or the mass in grams of one mole of that element.
For example, the atomic mass of silicon is 28.09 and that of oxygen is 16.00. This means that one mole of silicon has a mass of 28.09 grams and one mole of oxygen has a mass of 16.00 grams. - 3). Add the molar masses of all the elements to determine the molar mass of the molecule.
For instance, the molar mass of silicon dioxide equals 28.09 + 16.00 + 16.00, or 60.09 grams. - 4). Divide by Avogadro's number (6.022 * 10^23) to determine the mass of a single particle.
60.09 grams per mole divided by 6.022 * 10^23 molecules per mole equals 9.978 * 10^-23 grams per molecule. This is the weight of a single particle of silicon dioxide.
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