Question

Explain why the atomic mass of an element is a weighted-average mass

Answer 1

The isotopes contribute to the average atomic mass based on their abundance. The result is that the "average" mass for the atoms of an element is dictated by the most abundant or common isotope. The average atomic mass for carbon is 12.0107 amu. The atomic mass as displayed on the periodic table is a weighted average relative atomic mass of the naturally occuring isotopes of that element. An isotope is an element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons For example - Carbon naturally occurs in isotopes C12, C13 and C14 with abundances of 98.9% 1.1% and 'trace' respectively. the average mass is then calculated by 12*98.9%+13*1.1% = 12.01g/mol