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Why is the atomic mass of an element not usually given as a whole number even though each individual atom of the element has a whole number of protons and neutrons?
It's because of electrons, they have a relative mass of 1/1836
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!)
What is the mass number of cadmium?
Cadmium is a metal element. Mass number of it is 112.
Why is an elements atomic mass not listed as a whole number on the table?
There are two main reasons. The first is that the masses of protons and neutrons are not 1 unit but slightly greater. The mass of an atom is the mass of a whole number of protons, a whole number of neutrons as well as the same number of electrons as protons. Overall, therefore, the mass should be greater than the number of protons and neutrons (electrons have very little mass). But some of the mass is converted to energy which is used to hold the positively charged nucleus together. As a result the mass of carbon12 is an exact whole number and that is the only element for which that is true.The second, and possibly more relevant reason is that most atoms are found in the form of isotopes which have different numbers of neutrons and so different masses. The atomic mass listed for an element is an average of the masses of all these isotopes, weighted together according to their abundance of earth.
Can mass only be a whole number?
No, it cannot. A whole number is a quantity without units - a pure number. A mass of 1 pound is a whole number of pounds but it is 0.45359 kilograms: not a whole number, or 453.59 grams, again not a whole number.
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.
Why is the atomic mass of an element usually not given as a whole number even though each individual atom of the element has a whole number of protons and neutrons?
It's the electrons that throw it off.
What would cause the average atomic mass of an element to be close to a whole number?
It would be because if you are averaging a number there is a chance that it could be a whole number or not. Jake Caterinea
Is atomic mass and mass of an atom different?
No, they are not different. The atomic mass number is the average of the total number of the protons and neutrons in the atom of the existing isotopes of an element. That's why the atomic mass number is sometimes not a whole number but a decimal number as in oxygen being 15.999. FYI isotopes are different atoms of the same element that contain the same number of protons but have a different number of neutrons.
What does the atomic mass number stand for?
The total number of protons an neutrons on the average atom of that element. Because there is a variety of isotopes for all elements, this is not a whole number.
What element is a gas and has a mass number of 16?
Oxygen is a non metal element. Mass number of it is 16.
How do you find out mass number of an element?
Mass number = Number of Protons + Number of Neutrons
What is the different between mass number and atomic number?
Atomic number is the number of protons within the nucleus of the element. Mass number is the total mass of the element (made from number of electrons, protons, and neutrons). You can calculate the approximate mass of the element by multiplying the respective mass of each component by its corresponding amount. However, there will be a discrepancy by the calculated amount and the real amount because some of the mass is converted into energy when the element is formed.
How would we know how many moles are in a certain element?
number of moles = mass of the element/molar mass of the element
Which element has thea mass number of 23 and12 nuetrons?
Sodium is a metal element. Atomic mass number of it is 23.
What is mass number of magnessium?
Magnesium is a metal element. Mass number of it is 24.
What is mass number for rubidium?
Rubidium is a metal element. Mass number of it is 85.
