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It's because of electrons, they have a relative mass of 1/1836

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Q: 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?
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What is Carbon-12 atomic mass?

12. The number 12 refers to the atomic mass. More precisely, to the sum of neutrons + protons; but this is usually close to the atomic mass. In the case of carbon-12, it is exact, by definition.


How do you get the atomic mass and and atomic number?

it is simple. all you need to do is look in the periodic table the numbers above and under the letter.Atomic number is determined from the number of protons in the nucleus. Atomic mass is determined from the number of protons AND neutrons in the nucleus. Since elements have multiple isotopes with differing numbers of neutrons, the atomic mass reported on periodic charts is usually the average atomic mass. As the first person who answered this question pointed out, you can usually find the atomic number by looking for a number above the atomic symbol for the element in the the table (H for hydrogen, C for carbon, Fe for Iron, Au for gold, etc.). Sometimes the number will be below the symbol but in bold font. When the periodic table gives an atomic mass, it is usually given under the atomic symbol and is almost always some kind of decimal number that is always greater than the atomic number, for example: Carbon has an atomic number of 6and an atomic mass of 12.0107 amu.


What is an element math?

In mathematics, an element usually refers to a member of a set.


What does roman numeral in parenthesis after the name of the element?

It is the oxidation state of the element, usually positive and used with metals. It can also be used without brackets and in superscript.


Which element is usually included as part of the ADVON team when deploying to a hostile area?

Security forces and vehicles

Related questions

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.


How many protons and neutrons do atoms of the same element have?

Atoms of the same element usually have the same number of protons but differ slightly in the number of neutrons. The number of neutrons are usually about the number of protons so it can be estimated as so. For example, there are two relatively common isotopes of sodium: sodium 22 and sodium 23, where the number is the total number of protons and neutrons. Sodium 22 has 11 neutrons and sodium 23 has 12 neutrons but the sodium atom has 11 protons. For further information, look up isotopes.


Which element has 7 protons and 8 neutron?

Elements are determined by their number of protons. Nitrogen has 7 protons but usually 7 neutrons as well. What you have here is a nitrogen isotope, an element with more or less neutrons than there are protons. Specifically, this is Nitrogen-15.


What three particles determine which element you have?

An atom of an element is comprised of protons, electrons, and usually neutrons. The specific element is determined by the number of protons, and so there is only one particle that determines the element.


How do you determine the mass of an element?

The mass of an element is the sum of the protons and neutrons in an atom. It is usually listed right on the periodic table.


Can atoms of two different elements have the same number of neutrons?

Number of protons in in an element denote the type of element. So you identify element on the number of protons in it. Protons being positively charged can not sit together in a nucleus. They will repel each other. So you do not have an element in which only 2 or more protons and no neutrons are there.It means neutrons act as binding material in an element. So usually equal or more neutrons are there in an element. If same number of neutrons are there in nucleus but different number of protons, then it is no more a same but different element. An element in which different number of neutrons are there are called as Isotope. All element have got one or more Isotopes. So there 'physical' properties would differ but not 'chemical' property.


What makes any element that specific element?

The Atom consists of a certain amount of electrons, protons and usually neutrons. The amount of each of these sub-atomic particles is what makes an element that specific element. Actually, it is only the protons. The number of neutrons and/or electrons can vary, and it is still the same element. The one thing that makes an element that specific element is only the number of protons.


How many protons electrons and neutrons in chromium?

Chromium has 24 protons, 24 electrons, and usually 28 neutrons (as it has an atomic mass of around 52 atomic mass units).


Protons electrons and neutrons in any given atom?

Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus of an atom, while electrons orbit the nucleus in energy levels or shells. Protons have a positive charge, electrons have a negative charge, and neutrons have no charge. The number of protons determines the element's identity, while the number of electrons usually equals the number of protons to maintain a neutral charge.


What does sodium have in it?

Protons, neutrons and electrons. It's an element, Na, and usually appears in the form of table salt (NaCl).


Which element is an atom with six protons in the nucleus?

An atom with six protons in the nucleus is carbon. Carbon has 6 protons, 6 electrons, and usually 6 neutrons. It is the sixth element on the periodic table and is vital for life on Earth.


How are the number of protons in an element determined?

The number of protons in an element is determined by its atomic number, which is unique to each element. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of that element. For example, hydrogen has an atomic number of 1, meaning it has 1 proton, while helium has an atomic number of 2, indicating it has 2 protons.