The core principle involves determining the dimensionless quantity representing a substance's mass relative to one-twelfth the mass of an unbound carbon-12 atom by aggregating standardized atomic weights from constituent elements within a chemical formula. This calculation relies on formal stoichiometric definitions where molecular entities are treated as discrete units composed of specific integer ratios of elemental atoms, each contributing its weighted mean relative isotopic mass to the total sum. Situated within quantitative chemistry and physical science metrology, this theory serves as a fundamental metric for characterizing molar quantities without reference to absolute macroscopic mass scales or experimental measurement errors inherent in sample handling.
Prerequisite chain context: requires Calculation of Relative Atomic Mass using Carbon-12 Scale.