Question

How would you set up the problem: Average Atomic Mass of Copper which has two isotopes, Cu-63 and Cu-65; if Cu-63 has a percent abundance of 67.3 and Cu-65 has a percent abundance of 32.7.

Answer 1

To calculate the average atomic mass of copper, you need to consider the percent abundance of each isotope and their respective masses. The average atomic mass is found by multiplying the decimal abundances by their corresponding isotope masses and then adding the results together.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the average atomic mass of copper, we need to consider the percent abundance of each isotope and their respective masses. In this case, Cu-63 has a percent abundance of 67.3% and a mass of 62.9296 amu, while Cu-65 has a percent abundance of 32.7% and a mass of 64.9278 amu.

To set up the calculation:

1. Convert the percent abundances to decimal form: 67.3% becomes 0.673 and 32.7% becomes 0.327.
2. Multiply the decimal abundances by their corresponding isotope masses: 0.673 * 62.9296 amu = 42.227 amu and 0.327 * 64.9278 amu = 21.238 amu.
3. Add the two values together to find the average atomic mass: 42.227 amu + 21.238 amu = 63.465 amu.

Therefore, the average atomic mass of copper is 63.465 amu.