Identify the chemical formula of ammonia, which is NH_3, meaning it contains 1 nitrogen (N) atom and 3 hydrogen (H) atoms.
Find the atomic masses of nitrogen and hydrogen from the periodic table: nitrogen has an atomic mass of approximately 14.0 g/mol, and hydrogen has an atomic mass of approximately 1.0 g/mol.
Calculate the total mass contributed by nitrogen: multiply the number of nitrogen atoms by its atomic mass: \(1 \times 14.0 = 14.0\) g/mol.
Calculate the total mass contributed by hydrogen: multiply the number of hydrogen atoms by its atomic mass: \(3 \times 1.0 = 3.0\) g/mol.
Add the masses of nitrogen and hydrogen to find the molar mass of ammonia: \(14.0 + 3.0 = 17.0\) g/mol.