Mass percent is a way to express the concentration of a component in a mixture or solution. It is calculated by taking the mass of the specific component and dividing it by the total mass of the mixture, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. For example, if you have 10 grams of salt in 90 grams of water, the mass percent of salt is (10 g / 100 g) × 100 = 10%. This measurement is commonly used in chemistry and cooking to determine how much of a substance is present in a solution. Understanding mass percent helps in preparing solutions with precise concentrations, which is essential in fields like pharmaceuticals and food science.