What is the difference between Osmolarity and Osmolality?
Osmolarity and osmolality are both measures of the concentration of solute particles in a solution, but they differ in their units of measurement.
Osmolarity refers to the concentration of solute particles in a solution based on the number of particles per liter of solution. It is expressed in units of osmoles per liter (osmol/L).
To calculate osmolarity, you need to know the number of particles in the solution and the volume of the solution in liters. The formula for calculating osmolarity is:
Osmolarity = (Number of particles) / (Volume of solution in liters)
Osmolality, on the other hand, refers to the concentration of solute particles in a solution based on the number of particles per kilogram of solvent. It is expressed in units of osmoles per kilogram (osmol/kg).
To calculate osmolality, you need to know the number of particles in the solution and the mass of the solvent in kilograms. The formula for calculating osmolality is:
Osmolality = (Number of particles) / (Mass of solvent in kilograms)
So, in summary, the main difference between osmolarity and osmolality lies in the units of measurement. Osmolarity is measured in osmoles per liter (osmol/L), while osmolality is measured in osmoles per kilogram (osmol/kg).