What information would you need to calculate the average atomic mass of an element?

Taking into account the definition of average atomic mass and isotopes of an element, the information that you need is the masses of its isotopes and their percent abundances.

Each chemical element is characterized by the number of protons in its nucleus, which is called the atomic number Z.

But in the nucleus of each element it is also possible to find neutrons, whose number can vary. The atomic mass (A) is obtained by adding the number of protons and neutrons in a given nucleus.

The same chemical element can be made up of different atoms, that is, their atomic numbers are the same, but the number of neutrons is different. These atoms are called isotopes of the element.

The atomic mass of an element is the weighted average mass of its natural isotopes. Therefore, the atomic mass of an element is not a whole number.

The weighted average means that not all isotopes have the same percentage.

In other words, the atomic masses of chemical elements are usually calculated as the weighted average of the masses of the different isotopes of each element, taking into account the relative abundance of each of them.

In summary, the information that you need is the masses of its isotopes and their percent abundances.

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Calculating the average atomic mass of an element would require the masses of its isotopes and their percent abundances.

Explanation:

To calculate the average atomic mass of an element you must multiply the masses of its isotopes with the percent abundance divided by 100. Then you add them together for your answer.

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explanation:

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