10 Average Atomic Mass-S
10 Average Atomic Mass-S
10 Average Atomic Mass-S
Why?
Most elements have more than one naturally occurring isotope. As you learned previously, the atoms of
those isotopes have the same atomic number (number of protons), making them belong to the same ele-
ment, but they have different mass numbers (total number of protons and neutrons) giving them differ-
ent atomic masses. So which mass is put on the periodic table for each element? Is it the most common
isotope’s mass? The heaviest mass? This activity will help answer that question.
24 24 24 24 24
Mg Mg Mg Mg Mg
24 24 25 24 24 24
Mg Mg Mg Mg Mg Mg
24 25 24 26 24
Mg Mg Mg Mg Mg
24 24
Mg Mg
2. What are the mass numbers of the naturally occurring isotopes of magnesium shown in Model 1?
3. Do all of the atoms of magnesium in Model 1 have the same atomic mass? Explain.
4. For the sample of 20 atoms of magnesium shown in Model 1, draw a table indicating the mass
numbers of the three isotopes and the number of atoms of each isotope present.
6. Based on Model 1 and the table you created in Question 4, for every 10 atoms of magnesium,
approximately how many atoms of each isotope will be found?
8. If you could pick up a single atom of magnesium and put it on a balance, the mass of that atom
would most likely be ______ amu. Explain your reasoning.
b. Does the decimal number shown on the periodic table for magnesium match any of the
atomic masses listed in Model 2?
10. The periodic table does not show the atomic mass of every isotope for an element.
a. Explain why this would be an impractical goal for the periodic table.
11. What would be a practical way of showing the mass of magnesium atoms on the periodic table
given that most elements occur as a mixture of isotopes?
12. Propose a possible way to calculate the average atomic mass of 100 magnesium atoms. Your
answer may include a mathematical equation, but it is not required.
Mary’s Method
(78.99)(23.9850 amu) + (10.00)(24.9858 amu) + (11.01)(25.9826 amu)
—————————————————————————————– = __________
100
Jack’s Method
(0.7899)(23.9850 amu) + (0.1000)(24.9858 amu) + (0.1101)(25.9826 amu) = __________
Alan’s Method
23.9850 amu + 24.9858 amu + 25.9826 amu
——————————————————— = __________
3
13. Complete the three proposed calculations for the average atomic mass of magnesium in Model 3.
b. Explain why the mathematical reasoning was incorrect for any method(s) in Model 3 that did
not give the correct answer for average atomic mass (the one on the periodic table).
c. For the methods in Model 3 that gave the correct answer for average atomic mass, show that
they are mathematically equivalent methods.
15. Use one of the methods in Model 3 that gave the correct answer for average atomic mass to
calculate the average atomic mass for oxygen. Isotope information is provided below. Show all of
your work and check your answer against the mass listed on the periodic table.
Isotope Natural Abundance on Earth (%) Atomic Mass (amu)
16
O 99.76 15.9949
17
O 0.04 16.9991
18
O 0.20 17.9992
16. Consider the individual atomic masses for magnesium isotopes given in Model 2.
a. Which isotope has an atomic mass closest to the average atomic mass listed on the periodic
table?
17. Boron has two naturally occurring isotopes: boron-10 and boron-11. Which isotope is more
abundant on Earth? Use grammatically correct sentences to explain how your group determined
the answer.
Graphite
Colorless 98.89% Carbon-12
Very hard 1.11% Carbon-13
Insulator
Diamond
18. Consider the information about carbon provided in Model 4.
a. Are diamonds and graphite made from the same element?
b. Can the existence of isotopes explain the difference in properties between diamond and
graphite? Explain.
c. Propose an explanation for the difference in properties between diamond and graphite.
19. O2 and O3 (ozone) are allotropes of oxygen. Buckminsterfullerene (C60) is another allotrope
of carbon. Based on these statements and the information in Model 4, propose a definition for
allotrope.
20. Two common forms of phosphorus are red and white. Red phosphorus is fairly stable at room
temperature in air, but white phosphorus can ignite easily when exposed to air. Is this difference
in properties due to the existence of different isotopes of phosphorus or different allotropes?
Explain.