Isotopes and Relative Atomic Mass Flashcards
(5 cards)
1
Q
isotope definition
A
isotopes are different atomic forms of the same element, which have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
2
Q
why must isotopes have the same proton number?
A
because if they had different proton numbers, they would be different elements
3
Q
what is the relative atomic mass?
A
the average mass of all the isotopes of an element - it has to allow for the relative mass of each isotope and its relative abundance
4
Q
what does relative abundance mean?
A
how much there is of each isotope compared to the total amount of the element in the world
5
Q
how do you calculate relative atomic mass of an element?
A
- multiply the mass of each isotope by its relative abundance
- add those together
- divide by the sum of the relative abundances
