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Chlorine has an Atomic Mass of 35.5 because the atomic mass of an element is the number of protons plus the number of neutrons. In chlorine, there are always 17 protons (the number of protons in an atom is what makes it whichever element it is), but it is possible to have different amounts of neutrons in the atom. These are called different isotopes of an element. In chlorine, there can be between 17 and 20 neutrons meaning the mass number can range between 34 and 37. The reason that it is written as 35.5 on the Periodic Table is because that is the average mass number.

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13y ago

Chlorines atomic mass is 35.5gmol-1 as there are 2 isotopes of chlorine, these being Cl35 and Cl37. Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons and electrons however the number of neutrons in the atom is different. So for Cl37, there are two extra neutrons in comparison with Cl35.

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Q: Why does chlorine have an atomic mass of 35.5 write a short example of why this is so using the words protons neutrons isotope atomic number mass number etc?
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Related questions

Does an atom of chlorine have 17 protons and 18 neutrons?

Yes, the main isotope of chlorine has 17 protons and 18 neutrons.


Where is chlorine's subatomic particles go?

Chlorine has 17 electrons and protons; the number of neutrons is specific for each isotope. Number of neutrons in a chlorine isotope = Mass number - 17


If chlorine 35 has 17 protons 18 electrons 18 neutrons which what is an isotope of chlorine?

Chlorine 35 is a natural isotope of chlorine (75,77 % as mass).


How man protons neutrons and electrons does 35Cl- have?

The isotope chlorine-35 has 17 protons and 18 neutrons.


What constitutes an isotope?

An isotope of an element has a specific number of neutrons. (Calculated as the mass number minus the atomic number) Most elements have more than one isotope, for example Cl with 17 protons has three naturally occurring isotopes in nature, chlorine-35, with 18 neutrons and chlorine 37 with 20 neutrons along with a trace of chlorine-36 with 19 neutrons.


What is the mass of a potassium atom with 20 neutrons?

Mass number = No. of protons + No. of neutrons = 19 + 20 = 39


How many protons neutrons and electrons are in one most common isotope of chlorine?

Chlorine has the atomic number of 17. To keep it neutral then, it must have 17 protons and 17 electrons. Chlorine's most common isotope is 35Cl. That means it has 35 - 17 = 18 neutrons.


What is the number of protons neutrons in radium?


An isotope of chlorine has 17 protons and 17 neutrons what is the mass number of that isotope of chlorine?

17 plus 17 equals 34. However, Chlorine-34 does not exist; the stable isotopes are Chlorine-35 and Chlorine-37.


How many protons and neutrons are C1-37?

The C-12 isotope has 6 protons and 6 neutrons.


What has 17 protons and 20 neutrons?

Cl-37 isotope


How many protons neutrons and electrons are in chlorine 39?

The number of protons and electrons is always the same as the atomic number, which for chlorine is 17. The number of neutrons is always the mass number minus the atomic number, which for this isotope is also 17.