Relative Atomic Mass : Chemistry is an enchanting journey into the world of matter, where we unravel the mysteries of atoms and molecules. Central to this exploration are concepts like relative atomic mass, atomic mass unit (amu or u), average atomic mass, and relative molecular mass. Let's demystify these concepts in simple terms.
Relative atomic mass is a measure of the average mass of atoms of an element compared to the mass of a standard atom, which is usually taken as carbon-12 ( 12 C). It is a dimensionless quantity and is often expressed as a ratio with no units.
Relative Atomic mass is defined as the number which indicates how many times the mass of one atom of an element is heavier in comparison to 1/12 th part of the mass of one atom of C-12.
Relative atomic mass helps us understand the mass of atoms relative to one another. It provides insights into the abundance of isotopes of an element and their contributions to the overall mass of the element.
Ex. The atomic mass of an element is 50
Calculate the mass of one atom, in amu
Calculate the mass of 6.022 × 10 23 atoms, in gm
Calculate the number of atoms in its 10 gm
What mass of the element contains 3.011 × 10 20 atoms
Sol. (i) 50 amu
(ii) 50 gm
(iii) ∵ 50 gm of element contains 6.022 × 10 23 atoms
(iv) ∵ 6.022 × 10 23 atoms weights 50 gm
The atomic mass unit provides a standardized way to express the masses of atoms and molecules. It allows us to compare the masses of different atoms and molecules on a consistent scale.
Average atomic mass is the weighted average of the masses of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element, taking into account their relative abundances in nature.
If an element exists in different isotopic forms having relative abundance, X 1 %, X 2 % … X n %, with relative atomic masses M 1 , M 2 … M n respectively then
Q. Ex. An element exist in nature in two isotopic forms: X 30 (90%) and X 32 (10%). What is the average atomic mass of element?
Average atomic mass provides a representative value for the mass of an element, considering the contributions of its various isotopes. It is useful for calculating stoichiometry in chemical reactions and determining the molar mass of elements.
OR
Ex. Molecule mass of oxygen (O 2 ) = 32
Molecular mass of (O 3 ) = 48
Molecular mass of HCl = 1 + 35.5 = 36.5
Molecular mass of H 2 SO 4 = 2 + 32 + 64 = 98