Answer: Here are the steps to determine the atomic mass of an element with isotopic forms:
1. Identify the isotopes: Determine the different isotopic forms of the element. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons but the same number of protons.
2. Determine the relative abundance: Find the relative abundance of each isotope. This information is typically given as a percentage or decimal. The relative abundance represents the proportion or percentage of each isotope in a naturally occurring sample of the element.
3. Obtain the mass of each isotope: Identify the mass of each isotope. This is usually given in atomic mass units (u) or grams per mole (g/mol).
4. Multiply the mass of each isotope by its relative abundance: Multiply the mass of each isotope by its relative abundance (expressed as a decimal). This calculates the contribution of each isotope to the overall atomic mass.
5. Sum the contributions: Add up the contributions of each isotope to obtain the atomic mass. This sum represents the weighted average of the masses of all the isotopic forms, taking into account their relative abundance.