Question

If the mass of 293nv is 293.15 amu and that of 295nv is 295.30 amu , what is the atomic weight of nv?

Answer 1

Honestly, I am quite confused with what Nv stands for because there is no element with that symbol. However, I still get the concept of finding the average molecular mass of an element. Let's just assume that nv stands for a specific type of element and it has two isotopes: nv-293 and nv-295. Isotopes have the same number of protons but differ in mass number (protons+neutrons). 

To find the average atomic weight, just multiply the individual weights with the respective composition of the isotope. Since there are only two isotopes, they constitute 50% each. So, the average atomic weight is 

(50%)(293.15 amu) + (50%)(295.30 amu) = 294.225 amu

Hence, the atomic weight of nv is 294.225 atomic mass units.