What is the average atomic mass of chlorine if it has isotopes of masses 36.96590 and 34.96885, which are 24.47% and 75.53% abundant, respectively?

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Answer 1 · 2017-08-20T02:00:30

The average atomic mass of the given sample of chlorine is #"35.46 u"#.

Change the percentages to their decimal forms:

#24.47%=24.47/100=0.2447#

#75.53%=75.53/100=0.7553#

Multiply the mass of each isotope by its percent abundance and add. The symbol #"u"# is used for atomic mass units.

#"0.2447(36.9590 u)+0.7553(34.96885 u)"="35.46 u"#

Answer 2 · 2017-08-20T02:02:42

#35.4573#

The average mass is summation of the percentages of each mass multiplied by that mass.
#(36.9650 xx 0.2447) + (34.96885 xx 0.7553) = 35.4573#