College

What is the average atomic mass of the element in the data table?

[tex]
\[
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}
\hline
\text{Mass (amu)} & \text{Abundance (\%)} \\
\hline
39.0 & 93.258 \\
\hline
40.0 & 0.012 \\
\hline
41.0 & 6.730 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\]
[/tex]

A. 64.6 amu
B. 39.1 amu
C. 27.1 amu
D. 41.0 amu

Answer :

To find the average atomic mass of the element, you will follow these steps:

1. Understand the Data Provided:
You have different isotopes of an element with their masses and natural abundances given. The data provided indicates:
- Mass of first isotope = 39.0 amu with an abundance of 93.258%
- Mass of second isotope = 40.0 amu with an abundance of 0.012%
- Mass of third isotope = 41.0 amu with an abundance of 6.730%

2. Convert Percentages to Decimals:
To use the abundances in calculations, you should first convert them from percentages to decimals:
- 93.258% becomes 0.93258
- 0.012% becomes 0.00012
- 6.730% becomes 0.0673

3. Calculate the Average Atomic Mass:
The average atomic mass is calculated by multiplying each isotope's mass by its abundance and then adding up these values. This looks like:
[tex]\[
\text{Average atomic mass} = (39.0 \times 0.93258) + (40.0 \times 0.00012) + (41.0 \times 0.0673)
\][/tex]

4. Perform the Calculations:
- [tex]\( 39.0 \times 0.93258 = 36.38462 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( 40.0 \times 0.00012 = 0.0048 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( 41.0 \times 0.0673 = 2.7593 \)[/tex]

5. Add the Products Together:
[tex]\[
36.38462 + 0.0048 + 2.7593 = 39.13472
\][/tex]

6. Round to an Appropriate Number of Decimal Places:
Thus, the average atomic mass of the element is approximately 39.1 amu.

In conclusion, the correct answer is 39.1 amu.