Molar Mass of Ammonium Chloride (NH₄Cl)

Each row shows how much mass one element contributes to the total for NH₄Cl.

Save a printable summary, revision sheet, practice worksheet, or laboratory reference for Ammonium Chloride (NH₄Cl).

Without looking above, write the atom count for NH₄Cl, then compute the molar mass. Check your answer against 53.489 g/mol.

Next challenge: how many grams are in 0.250 mol of Ammonium Chloride? Multiply 0.250 × 53.489 to get 13.372 g.

Chloride content in NH₄Cl-based fertilizers requires management in chloride-sensitive soils and crops; nitrogen runoff shares eutrophication concerns common to ammonium fertilizers.

Used clinically in limited settings to treat metabolic alkalosis and as an expectorant in cough preparations; ammonium ion is a normal intermediate in nitrogen and urea cycle metabolism.

Preparation and production

Industrially, NH₄Cl is produced as a byproduct of the Solvay process for sodium carbonate manufacture, or by directly neutralizing ammonia with hydrochloric acid: NH₃ + HCl → NH₄Cl. Laboratory preparation typically uses this direct neutralization, followed by evaporation and crystallization.

Large-scale production is closely tied to the Solvay soda-ash process, where NH₄Cl is generated as a coproduct; dedicated production also occurs by direct combination of ammonia and hydrochloric acid gas or solution.

Sal ammoniac was known to alchemists and described in early Arabic and medieval European chemical texts, with historical accounts linking its name to ammonium salt deposits associated with ancient Egyptian and Libyan sites. Its modern chemical identity as ammonium chloride was established alongside the broader characterization of ammonia and hydrochloric acid in the 18th century.

Known since antiquity as sal ammoniac; its composition as a compound of ammonia and hydrochloric acid was clarified during the systematic study of these gases in the 18th century.

Interesting facts

• The name 'sal ammoniac' traces to deposits historically collected near the Temple of Amun (Ammon) in ancient Libya, associated with camel dung decomposition.
• NH₄Cl's molar mass (53.49 g/mol) is almost exactly the sum of ammonia (17.03) and hydrogen chloride (36.46) — a direct reflection of its formation reaction, NH₃ + HCl → NH₄Cl.
• White 'smoke' seen when ammonia and hydrochloric acid vapors meet in air is actually solid NH₄Cl microcrystals forming instantly from the gas-phase reaction.
• In some traditional Nordic and Baltic confectionery, ammonium chloride (salmiak) is used to give licorice candy its distinctive salty-bitter taste.

Comparison with similar compounds

NH₄Cl (53.49 g/mol) gives an acidic solution because NH₄⁺ is the conjugate acid of a weak base, whereas NaCl (58.44 g/mol) gives a neutral solution because both Na⁺ and Cl⁻ come from a strong base and strong acid, respectively.

Store in tightly sealed, moisture-resistant containers, since NH₄Cl is somewhat hygroscopic. Keep away from strong bases (which liberate ammonia gas) and strong oxidizers.

Low to moderate toxicity; dust may irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. Avoid heating in closed containers without ventilation, since decomposition releases irritating NH₃ and HCl vapors.

Mild irritant to eyes, skin, and respiratory tract; not highly hazardous in normal handling, but heating releases irritating ammonia and hydrogen chloride vapors, and large oral doses can disturb acid-base balance.

• Eye and respiratory irritation from dust
• Releases irritating NH₃/HCl vapors on strong heating
• Large ingested doses can cause acidosis or gastrointestinal upset

Classification: GHS: Acute Tox. 4 (oral), Eye Irrit. 2

1. 1. Calculate the molar mass of NH₄Cl.

   Show answer

   14.01 + 4(1.008) + 35.45 = 53.49 g/mol

2. 2. Is a 0.10 M NH₄Cl solution acidic, basic, or neutral? Explain briefly.

   Show answer

   Acidic — NH₄⁺ is the conjugate acid of the weak base NH₃ and hydrolyzes water to produce H₃O⁺, while Cl⁻ (conjugate base of strong acid HCl) does not hydrolyze.

3. 3. How many grams of NH₄Cl form from the complete reaction of 8.50 g of NH₃ with excess HCl gas?

   Hint: NH₃ + HCl → NH₄Cl is a 1:1 mole ratio reaction.

   Show answer

   8.50 g ÷ 17.03 g/mol = 0.499 mol NH₃; 1:1 ratio gives 0.499 mol NH₄Cl × 53.49 g/mol ≈ 26.7 g

4. 4. Why does heating NH₄Cl appear to make it sublime, and what is actually happening chemically?

   Show answer

   It appears to sublime, but the solid actually decomposes into gaseous NH₃ and HCl on heating; these gases recombine to reform solid NH₄Cl on cooling, giving the visual impression of direct solid-to-gas-to-solid transition.

• Sodium ChlorideNaCl
• AmmoniaNH₃
• Hydrochloric AcidHCl

The sections above give the number you need for calculations. Here we look more closely at how Ammonium Chloride (NH₄Cl) behaves chemically—so the molar mass connects to real reactions, properties, and laboratory practice.

Ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) has a molar mass of 53.49 g/mol (N 14.01 + 4 × 1.008 + Cl 35.45), an ionic salt of the tetrahedral ammonium cation (NH₄⁺) and chloride anion. Known historically as sal ammoniac, it forms white crystals that sublime on heating rather than melting cleanly — the vapor actually consists of NH₃ and HCl gases that recombine into solid NH₄Cl on cooling, a striking demonstration that "sublimation" of an ionic solid can conceal an underlying decomposition-recombination process.

NH₄Cl is the classic example of a salt whose aqueous solution is acidic despite being composed of a "strong" acid's conjugate base and a "weak" base's conjugate acid: the ammonium ion is a weak acid (Ka = 5.6 × 10⁻¹⁰, the conjugate of weak base NH₃) that hydrolyzes water, while chloride, the conjugate base of strong acid HCl, does not hydrolyze at all. This makes NH₄Cl solution mildly acidic (pH ≈ 5), a textbook case in salt hydrolysis and acid-base equilibrium.

Industrially, ammonium chloride is essential as a soldering and galvanizing flux — it removes oxide layers from metal surfaces, allowing solder or zinc coating to bond properly — and as the electrolyte in classic zinc-carbon "dry cell" batteries. It also serves as a nitrogen fertilizer, particularly for flooded rice paddies where its ammonium nitrogen resists rapid leaching, and as an expectorant ingredient in some cough medicines, where it stimulates respiratory secretions.

NH₄Cl consists of the tetrahedral ammonium ion NH₄⁺ (formed when NH₃ accepts a proton) ionically bonded to a chloride ion Cl⁻ in a 1:1 ratio. The ammonium ion has four equivalent N–H bonds after protonation, making it isoelectronic with methane (CH₄) in terms of geometry, though chemically very different due to the formal positive charge and N–H bond character.

NH₄Cl is a mild acid salt in solution (from ammonium ion hydrolysis) and decomposes on strong heating into ammonia and hydrogen chloride gases, which recombine as white smoke or solid on cooling — the basis of the classic "smoke without fire" demonstration when NH₃ and HCl vapors meet. It reacts with strong bases to liberate ammonia gas (a standard qualitative test for ammonium ion) and serves as a mild reducing/cleaning flux by reacting with metal oxide surface layers.

Recalculate any formula with the molar mass calculator, compare atoms on the periodic table, or browse more compounds in the salt library.

• NIST Chemistry WebBook: NH₄Cl thermodynamic data
• PubChem CID 25517: Ammonium chloride identifiers and properties
• IUPAC: Salt hydrolysis and acid–base nomenclature