By the rate of diffusion of an object, we mean how much the object has spread through any medium at any given time. The lower the density of an object, the lower the molecular mass, the higher the rate of diffusion. And the higher the molecular mass, the lower the diffusion rate. Between NH 3 and HCl the molecular mass of NH 3 ( 17) is less and HCl Its molecular mass ( 36.5) is high. Thus the rate of diffusion of NH 3 is higher than that of HCl .