Dalton: A Unit of Mass for Molecules

Introduction

Dalton (Da) is a unit that measures mass at the molecular level.

Dalton is an SI unit of mass defined as one-twelfth the mass of an atom of carbon-12. One dalton is equal to 1.66 x 10^-24 grams.

Dalton is commonly used to express the mass of large molecules, such as proteins and polymers.

It is also used to express the mass of atoms and subatomic particles. Dalton is a convenient unit of mass for these purposes because it is small enough to be meaningful at the molecular level, but large enough to be easily measured.

Dalton is named after John Dalton, an English chemist and physicist who first proposed the atomic theory of matter.

Dalton's atomic theory was a major breakthrough in chemistry, and it helped to establish the modern understanding of the structure of matter.