Atomic Mass

STUDY CHEAT SHEET BY JUNJE KHARYLLE A. SEMEON

∞ The number of electrons, protons, and

neutrons determines the mass of an
atom.
∞ It is possible to determine the mass of
one atom relative to another
experimentally.
∞ Atomic mass is the mass of the atom
expressed in atomic mass units (amu).
∞ One atomic mass unit is referred to as a
mass exactly equal to one-twelfth the
mass of one carbon-12 atom.
∞ Isotopes are atoms that have the same
number of protons and electrons but with
a different number of neutrons.
∞ This means isotopes also has a different
atomic mass.
∞ The average weight of all isotopes in a
normal environment is called the relative
atomic mass.
∞ The International Union of Pure and
Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) publishes
suggested values, which are updated
every year.
∞ The relative atomic mass is a
standardized number and is assumed to
be true for most of the planet Earth's
crust.
∞ When the natural percentage abundance
is considered in calculating the weight of
the naturally occurring isotopes of an
element, it is called an average atomic
mass.
∞ Average atomic mass differs depending
on the chemical sample.
AVERAGE ATOMIC MASS
The general formula for the average atomic mass
is given below:

For example, carbon has two naturally

occurring isotopes, carbon-12 and carbon-13.
Their average atomic mass can be calculated
as follows: