Isotopes Atomic Mass

Isotopes
Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons.

Atomic Mass
Remember: The mass of a proton is 1.67x10-24g (same as the neutron) and the electron has a mass of 9.11x10-28g. An atomic mass unit (amu) is defined as one twelfth the mass of carbon-12 For example, an isotope of Neon with 10 protons and 12 neutrons has an atomic mass of about 22 amu.

Abundance
Different isotopes of the same element naturally occur in different amounts. Isotopes of Chlorine % Natural Abundance

chlorine-35 chlorine-37

75.9% 24.1%

Abundance
The atomic mass of naturally occurring copper is 63.546 amu. Which of coppers two isotopes is more abundant: copper-63 or copper-65

copper-63

Average Atomic Mass

The atomic mass of an element is the weighted average mass of the atoms in a naturally occurring sample of the element.

 Find the average atomic mass of chlorine given the following information: Isotopes of Chlorine chlorine-35 chlorine-37 Mass of each isotope % Natural Abundance 75.9% 24.1%

Average Atomic Mass

35amu(0.759)+37amu(0.241) = 35.5 amu

Abundance of each isotope Average Atomic Mass