Molar Volume Definition in Chemistry

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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on August 08, 2019

Molar volume is the volume of one mole of a substance at a specified pressure and temperature. It is commonly denoted by the symbol Vm.

Units

The SI unit of molar volume is cubic meters per mole (m3/mol). However, because that is such a large volume, other units are usually used. Cubic centimeters per mole (cm3/mol) is used for solids and liquids. Cubic decimeters per mole (dm3/mol) may be used for gases.

Formula

Molar volume is calculated as molar mass (M) divided by mass density (ρ):

Vm = M / ρ

Example

The molar volume of an ideal gas at STP is 22.4 L/mol.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Molar Volume Definition in Chemistry." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-molar-volume-605364. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 28). Molar Volume Definition in Chemistry. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-molar-volume-605364 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Molar Volume Definition in Chemistry." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-molar-volume-605364 (accessed June 6, 2023).