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The short answer is yes. The long answer is that isotopes have different numbers of neutrons than other isotopes of the same element, so when expressing the mass of an isotope, you don't take an average; you just add the number of neutrons and the number of protons. However, that number is not entirely accurate since the mass of a proton and a neutron are very slightly different. So, if you want to be very exact, then no, the mass of an isotope is not a whole number, but it is very, very close.
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∙ 11y ago
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∙ 14y agoYes, atomic numbers will always be a whole number. The atomic number references the number of protons in the atom. Since there cannot be a in-between number of protons, the atomic number will have to be a whole number.
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∙ 12y agoYes, the atomic number will always be a whole number.
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∙ 12y agoWiki User
∙ 13y agoyes,because in isotopes neutrons differ from normal element.
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∙ 12y agoThe atomic numbers of an element is the average mass of all that element's isotopes. Some elements have A LOT of isotopes. Sometimes, that average isn't always a whole number.
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∙ 11y agoPossibly yes, most are in decimal form but are rounded to the nearest whole number- then displayed on the Periodic Table. So the atomic numbers don't have to be whole
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How do isotopes differ and why is the atomic number of elements not a whole number?
Isotopes differ from each other by having different numbers of neutrons but the same number of protons since they are only the same element if they have the same number of protons. Atomic numbers aren't whole because their mass is based of the mass of hydrogen and amu's (atomic mass units) and due to how elements are formed, minute amounts of mass are lost in order to form the nuclear bonds resulting in not whole numbers.
Why are atomic masses of elements usually not whole numbers?
The atomic mass listed in the periodic is found by taking the average of all the different isotopes of a given element found in nature, weighted for their natural abundance.Note that the atomic mass is not the same as the atomic weight. The atomic mass is the weight of one specific isotope of one atom, and is expressed in "atomic mass units" or amu. The atomic weight is expressed in grams per mole (g/mol) and is the weighted average of all the isotopes weighted by their abundance.See the Web Links for more information about atomic mass and atomic weight.
Why are molar masses not a whole number?
Because chlorine (like almost every other element) exists as several isotopes. The molar mass reflects the combined weight and proportion of each of those isotopes.
What element has the atomic number for 3.14?
No element has this atomic number. All atomic numbers are whole numbers.
Can two elements have same atomic number?
atomic massAll atoms of the same element have the same number of protons . So they all have the same atomic mass(provided they are the same isotope) . Different elements will have different numbers of protons, so therefore different atomic numbers.
Why is an element's atomic mess not listed as a whole number on the periodic?
Because it is an average of the masses of the isotopes of the element, each of which has a different atomic mass (not mess!)
Why atomic mass of an element is not a whole number?
in case of some elements which has isotopes the atomic masses are different so the average is taken out which may come in decimals.
Do copper isotopes have a whole atomic mass?
The isotopes of copper have the relative atomic masses of 63 and 65 and these are approximations. The exact values contain decimal figures.
Why atomic mass is always a whole number but atomic weight may be a decimal number?
Atomic mass of isotopes is not a whole number.
Why the atom mass of an element is not a whole number?
in case of some elements which has isotopes the atomic masses are different so the average is taken out which may come in decimals.
Can explain in terms of isotopes why the relative atomic mass of atomic number 17 is not a whole number?
Mass number is the average of all the naturally occurring isotopes of that element. When calculated, this average is not a whole number.
What is an element's atomic mass not listed as a whole number on the periodic table?
Few elements have isotopes. their atomic mass is not a whole number.
Why is atomic mass of many elements not a whole number?
The main reason that the Atomic Mass of elements is not a whole number is due to the presence of different isotopes - these have the same number of protons in the nucleus but a different number of neutrons - so their masses are different even though chemically they are identical. The two isotopes of Chlorine are 35Cl- (75.77%) and 37Cl (24.23%) giving an overall "average" mass of 35.4527.
Why are most atomic masses a decimal?
The atomic mass of an isotope of an element is the mass of the nucleons (neutrons + protons) in an atom of that isotope. This is nearly, though not exactly, equal to the number of nucleons, and so is nearly a whole number.The main cause for the atomic mass being fractional is that most elements have numerous isotopes, each with a different number of neutrons and so a different atomic mass. The atomic mass for an element is the average of the atomic masses of all its isotopes, weighted together in the proportion of the isotopes' abundance on earth. It is this weighting together that results in the numbers being fractional.
Why is the relative atomic mass of chloride not a whole number?
Because relitive atomic masses are NEVER whole numbers.
Why don't the elements on the periodic table have a whole number as their atomic weight?
Elements exist as isotopes in nature. So their atomic weight is not a whole number.
How are isotopes related to atomic masses not being whole numbers?
Atomic masses are the weighted average of all the isotopes of an element. The average is based on the relative abundance of each isotope. Let say we have an element with two isotopes, the first isotope has a mass of 6 and the second has a mass of 8. If we took a straight average of the atomic masses then the element would have a mass of 7. But a weighted average based on the abundance of each isotope would be different (unless both isotopes are found to be in equal amounts ie. both 50% abundance) If the isotope with a mass of 6 had a relative abundance of 75% (meaning that 3/4 of all atoms of that element had a mass of 6) then the other isotope would have a relative abundance of 25% (relative abundance must add up to 100%). The atomic mass of the elements would be calculated by multiplying each isotopes mass my the relative abundance and then adding the two results together. 75% (6) = 4.5 25% (8) = 2.0 4.5 + 2.0 = 6.5 The atomic mass for this element would have an atomic mass of 6.5 amu (atomic mass units)
