This is because of the existence of isotopes. What's an isotope? It's an element that has a specific number of neutrons. I'll give an example. Carbon has 6 Neutrons, 6 Protons, 6 Electrons.
That's the most common form of Carbon. But 1% of all Carbon is an isotope that has 1 extra Neutron. So it weighs 1 more, also. So this isotope weighs 13 instead of 12. We call it Carbon 13, or 13C.
There's also a 14C and so on....but in far smaller amounts.
So anyhow, since we have 99% Carbon weighing 12 and 1% Carbon weighing 13, what weight do we put on our Periodic Table?
Well, I guess we could put the most common.
But what about Bromine? That has 2 major isotopes. One weighs 79 and the other 81, they are 51% and 49% (very roughly) abundant respectively.
That's almost an exact split...it'd be pretty ridiculous to only put the weight of one.
So instead we say it's weight is 79.9...which is it's weight averaged over all of it's isotopes, with respect to their abundance.
It doesn't seem right to average it on an atom-to-atom basis. But if I'm weighing 2grams of my sample, there are HUGE numbers of molecules there. And the only way I can do an accurate calculation is to know an averaged mass, because my sample WILL contain all of the isotopes.
If I calculate for only 1 isotopic weight, my calculations will be wrong. That's why we average them.
The atomic weight of Br (Bromine) is the sum of the atomic weights of Cl (Chlorine) and I (Iodine). This is because bromine falls between chlorine and iodine in the periodic table, thus its atomic weight is approximately the average of the atomic weights of chlorine and iodine.
John Dalton tried to work out the relative masses of atoms; but his calculations were wrong, although the principle was correct. He was, however, the first to establish a table of atomic masses with hydrogen, the lightest atom, as the standard.
Yes, in the first 90 elements of the periodic table, there are a few instances where consecutive elements do not have increasing atomic weights. For example, the atomic weight of Cobalt (Co) is 58.93, which is less than the atomic weight of Nickel (Ni) at 58.69. Another example is the atomic weight of Tellurium (Te) at 127.6, which is less than the atomic weight of Iodine (I) at 126.90447. These anomalies occur due to variations in the atomic mass of isotopes and their relative abundances.
The relative atomic mass of copper is approximately 63.55. To calculate the relative formula mass of copper, you sum the atomic masses of its atoms, which in this case would just be the atomic mass of copper. Therefore, the relative formula mass of copper would be 63.55.
The atomic weight of Tantalum is approximately 180.947.
Relative atomic masses are often used in place of atomic weights. They represent the weighted average of the masses of the isotopes of an element relative to the mass of a carbon-12 atom.
True. The unit for the atomic weights of chemical elements is the relative atomic mass unit (1/12 from the atomic mass of the isotope 12C). Note that atomic weights is used for elements and atomic mass for isotopes.
That would be Carbon (C). Which has a designated mass of 12.
John Dalton determined the atomic weights of several elements, including hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, among others. He used hydrogen as the reference point with an atomic weight of 1, assigning relative weights to other elements based on their combinations with hydrogen. Dalton's work laid the foundation for the modern understanding of atomic theory and the relative weights of elements. His findings were crucial in advancing the field of chemistry in the early 19th century.
Because atomic weights must be measured in fractions.
The largest jump in atomic weights between consecutive elements on the periodic table occurs between oxygen (atomic weight ~16.00) and potassium (atomic weight ~39.10), with a difference of approximately 23.10. This significant increase is due to the transition from lighter elements in the second period to heavier elements in the fourth period.
The original atomic weights were based on the mass of hydrogen.
To determine the atomic weights of zinc or copper, you typically use mass spectrometry or chemical analysis techniques to measure the isotopic composition of the elements. You need to know the relative abundances of the isotopes present and their individual atomic masses. This data allows you to calculate the weighted average atomic weight based on the formula: atomic weight = (isotope mass × relative abundance) for all isotopes. Additionally, knowledge of the isotopic ratios in the sample is essential for accurate calculations.
Stanislao Cannizzaro solved the problem of atomic weights by providing a systematic method for determining the relative atomic masses of elements. In 1858, he presented a clear distinction between atomic weights and molecular weights, which helped eliminate confusion in the scientific community. His work laid the foundation for the modern periodic table and improved the understanding of chemical formulas, ultimately advancing the field of chemistry significantly.
Actually weights are too small and are hard to work with.
relative Atomic Mass
relative atomic mass