Enter the base pairs, molecular weight, and conversion factor into the calculator to determine the missing variable.
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Base Pair to kDa Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the molecular weight (kDa) for a given number of base pairs and conversion factor.
MW = BP * CF
Variables:
- MW is the molecular weight in kilodaltons (kDa)
- BP is the number of base pairs
- CF is the conversion factor (kDa/base pair)
To calculate the molecular weight, multiply the number of base pairs by the conversion factor.
| Base Pairs (bp) | Molecular Weight (kDa) |
|---|---|
| 100 | 66.000 |
| 200 | 132.000 |
| 300 | 198.000 |
| 400 | 264.000 |
| 500 | 330.000 |
| 750 | 495.000 |
| 1,000 | 660.000 |
| 1,200 | 792.000 |
| 1,500 | 990.000 |
| 2,000 | 1,320.000 |
| 2,500 | 1,650.000 |
| 3,000 | 1,980.000 |
| 3,500 | 2,310.000 |
| 4,000 | 2,640.000 |
| 5,000 | 3,300.000 |
| 6,000 | 3,960.000 |
| 8,000 | 5,280.000 |
| 10,000 | 6,600.000 |
| 15,000 | 9,900.000 |
| 20,000 | 13,200.000 |
| *Assumes double-stranded DNA average mass: 1 base pair ≈ 660 Da (0.660 kDa). Formula: kDa = bp × 0.660. | |
What is a Base Pair?
A base pair is a unit consisting of two nucleobases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds. They form the building blocks of the DNA double helix and contribute to the folded structure of both DNA and RNA. The most common base pairs are adenine with thymine (A-T) and cytosine with guanine (C-G) in DNA, and adenine with uracil (A-U) in RNA. The number of base pairs is often used to express the size of a gene or an entire genome.
How to Calculate Molecular Weight from Base Pairs?
The following steps outline how to calculate the molecular weight from base pairs.
- First, determine the number of base pairs (BP).
- Next, determine the conversion factor (CF) in kDa per base pair.
- Finally, calculate the molecular weight using the formula MW = BP * CF.
- After inserting the values and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem :
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Number of base pairs (BP) = 1000
Conversion factor (CF) = 0.65 kDa/base pair