Relative Atomic Mass

The relative atomic mass of an element takes into account the masses and relative abundances of all its naturally occurring isotopes. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei and therefore have slightly different masses.

To calculate the relative atomic mass of an element, the atomic masses of all its isotopes are multiplied by their respective natural abundances (expressed as percentages), and then these products are summed and divided by 100. For example, the relative atomic mass of chlorine is 35.5 amu, because chlorine has two naturally occurring isotopes with atomic masses of approximately 35 amu and 37 amu, and their relative abundances are approximately 75% and 25%, respectively:

(35 amu x 75%) + (37 amu x 25%) = 35.5 amu

The relative atomic mass of an element is an important concept in chemistry, as it is used to calculate the molar mass of compounds and to determine the stoichiometry of chemical reactions.

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