1.

Explaining and how to calculate the relative atomic mass RAM or Ar

of an element
How to calculate relative atomic mass
Introdsuction

Every atom has its own unique atomic mass based on a standard
comparison or relative scale e.g. it has been based on hydrogen H = 1 amu
and oxygen O = 16 amu in the past (amu = relative atomic mass unit).

The relative atomic mass scale is now based on an isotope of carbon,
carbon-12, , which is given the value of 12.0000 amu.
In this standard nuclide notation, the top left number is the mass
number (12) and the bottom left number is the atomic/proton
number (6).
In other words the relative atomic mass of an element is now based on
the arbitrary value of the carbon-12 isotope being assigned a mass of
12.0000 by international agreement!
Examples are shown in the Periodic Table diagram above.
Note that because of the presence of neutrons in the nucleus, the
relative atomic mass is usually at least double the atomic/proton
number because there usually at the number of neutrons as
protons in the nucleus (mass proton = 1, neutron = 1).
Also note, that for many calculations purposes, relative atomic
masses are usually quoted and used at this academic level to one
decimal place eg.
hydrogen H = 1.0 or ~1, calcium Ca= 40.0 or ~40, chlorine Cl = 35.5,
copper Cu = 63.6 or ~64, silver Ag 107.9 or ~108.
Sometimes at A level, values of relative atomic masses to two
decimal places may be quoted.
In using the symbol Ar for RAM, you should bear in mind that the letter A
on its own usually means the mass number of a particular isotope and
amu is the acronym shorthand for atomic mass units.
However there are complications due to isotopes and so very accurate
atomic masses are never whole integer numbers.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different masses due to
different numbers of neutrons. The very accurate atomic mass scale is
based on a specific isotope of carbon, carbon-12,
12
C = 12.0000 units
exactly, for most purposes C = 12 is used for simplicity.
For example hydrogen-1, hydrogen-2, and
hydrogen-3, are the nuclide notation for the three isotopes of hydrogen,
though the vast majority of hydrogen atoms have a mass of 1. When their
accurate isotopic masses, and their % abundance are taken into account
the average accurate relative mass for hydrogen = 1.008, but for most
purposes H = 1 is good enough!
See also GCSE/IGCSE/AS Atomic Structure Notes
The strict definition of relative atomic mass (Ar) is that it equals the
average mass of all the isotopic atoms present in the element
compared to
1
/12th the mass of a carbon-12 atom.
So, you are taking into account the different isotopic masses of the
same elements, but also their % abundance in the element.
Therefore you need to know the percentage (%) of each isotope
of an element in order to accurately calculate the element's
relative atomic mass.


Examples of relative atomic mass calculations for GCSE/IGCSE/AS level
students
How do I calculate relative atomic mass?
and
Relative Atomic Mass Calculation Example 1.1 BROMINE
bromine consists of 50%
79
Br and 50%
81
Br, calculate the Ar of
bromine.
Ar = [ (50 x 79) + (50 x 81) ] /100 = 80
So the relative atomic mass of bromine is 80 or RAM or Ar(Br) = 80
Note the full working shown. Yes, ok, you can do it in your head
BUT many students ignore the %'s and just average all the isotopic
masses (mass numbers) given, in this case bromine-79 and
bromine-81.
and
Relative Atomic Mass Calculation Example 1.2 CHLORINE
chlorine consists of 75% chlorine-35 and 25% chlorine-37.
Think of the data based on 100 atoms, so 75 have a mass of 35 and
25 atoms have a mass of 37.
The average mass = [ (75 x 35) + (25 x 37) ] / 100 = 35.5
So the relative atomic mass of chlorine is 35.5 or RAM or Ar(Cl) =
35.5
Note:
35
Cl and
37
Cl are the most common isotopes of chlorine, but,
there are tiny percentages of other chlorine isotopes which are
usually ignored at GCSE/IGCSE and Advanced GCE AS/A2 A level.
Example 1.3:
The mass number for any isotope is the sum of the protons and neutrons in the
nucleus, and is always an integer i.e. a whole number.


Examples for Advanced Level Chemistry students only
How to calculate relative atomic mass with accurate relative isotopic masses
Using data from modern very accurate mass spectrometers

(a) Calculation of relative atomic mass
Relative isotopic mass = the accurate mass of a single isotope of an element
compared to
1
/12th the mass of a carbon-12 atom e.g. the accurate mass of
is 58.9332 !
If we were to redo the chlorine example 1.1 above, which is quite adequate for
GCSE purposes, more accurately at A level, we would do ....
chlorine is 75.77%
35
Cl of isotopic mass 34.9689 and 24.23%
37
Cl of isotopic mass
36.9658
so Ar(Cl) = [(75.77 x 34.9689) + (24.23 x 36.9658)] / 100 = 35.4527 (but 35.5 is
usually ok in calculations pre-university!)
See also Mass Spectrometer and isotope analysis on the GCSE-AS(basic)
Atomic Structure Notes, with further RAM calculations.
(b) Calculations of % composition of isotopes
It is possible to do the reverse of a relative atomic mass calculation if you know
the Ar and which isotopes are present.
It involves a little bit of arithmetical algebra.
The Ar of boron is 10.81 and consists of only two isotopes, boron-10 and boron-11
The relative atomic mass of boron was obtained accurately in the past and mass
spectrometers can sort out the isotopes present.
If you let X = % of boron 10, then 100-X is equal to % of boron-11
Therefore Ar(B) = (X x 10) + [(100-X) x 11)] / 100 = 10.81
so, 10X -11X +1100 =100 x 10.81
-X + 1100 = 1081, 1100 - 1081 = X (change sides change sign!)
therefore X = 19
so naturally occurring boron consists of 19%
10
B and 81%
11
B (the data books
quote 18.7 and 81.3)