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The main reason is that many elements exist in several isotopic forms. These are atoms with the same number of protons and electrons but different numbers of neutrons. Since the Atomic Mass is essentially based on the number of protons and neutrons in each atom, the element will exist in several forms with different masses. The atomic mass is the average of the masses of these isotopes, weighted together according to their abundance.

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Q: Why mass number of are always whole number?
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