What is the Difference Between Concentration and Molarity?

The key difference between concentration and molarity is that concentration refers to the content of solutes in a solution, while molarity is a specific unit of concentration that relates the amount of moles of a solute per liter of solution.

Concentration can be measured in various ways, such as:

• Mass concentration: grams of solute per liter of solution
• Percentage: grams of solute divided by the grams of solution multiplied by 100
• Molarity: moles of solute per liter of solution

Molarity is just one way to express concentrations, and it specifically represents the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. To summarize:

• Concentration: The total amount of solute dissolved in a given solvent
• Molarity: A specific unit of concentration, representing the number of moles of solute per liter of solution

Comparative Table: Concentration vs Molarity

The difference between concentration and molarity can be summarized in the following table:

Concentration refers to the amount of a substance in a given volume, while molarity refers to the molar concentration of a solution, measured in moles of solute per liter of solution. Although both concepts deal with the amount of a substance in a given volume, their units of measurement and applications are different.

In summary:

• Concentration can be expressed in various units, such as g/L or mg/L, and can be used for any substance.
• Molarity is always calculated using moles of the substance and the volume of the solution, with units of M or mol/L, and is primarily used for equilibrium calculations involving known chemical reactions.