Calculating Atomic Mass

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to atomic mass calculations, isotopes, and significant figures as learned in the lecture.

Atomic Mass

The weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, based on their natural abundance.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons and, consequently, different atomic masses.

Abundance

The relative proportion of an isotope of an element compared to the total of all isotopes.

Significant Figures

The digits in a number that contribute to its precision, including all non-zero digits and any zeros between them.

Carbon-12

An isotope of carbon with an atomic mass of 12.000 amu and approximately 98.89% abundance.

Carbon-13

An isotope of carbon with an atomic mass of 13.003 amu and approximately 1.11% abundance.

Nitrogen-14

An isotope of nitrogen with an atomic mass of 14.003 amu and approximately 99.63% abundance.

Nitrogen-15

An isotope of nitrogen with an atomic mass of 15.000 amu and approximately 0.37% abundance.

Oxygen-16

An isotope of oxygen with an atomic mass of 15.995 amu and approximately 99.759% abundance.

Oxygen-17

An isotope of oxygen with an atomic mass of 17.999 amu and approximately 0.204% abundance.

Sulfur Isotopes

Sulfur has multiple isotopes with varying atomic masses and abundances, significant for calculating its atomic mass.

Weighted Average

A calculation that takes into account the relative abundances of each isotope when determining the atomic mass.