STM 005: General Chemistry 1

Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: ________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: _____________________ Date: _________________________

Lesson Title: Calculating Average Atomic Mass Materials:

Activity sheets
Learning Targets: References:
At the end of this module the learners should be able to: https://www.boundless.com/chemis
try/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-
1. Recognize the most common or abundant isotope textbook/mass-relationships-and-
2. Calculate the average atomic mass chemical-equations-3/atomic-
1. mass-40/average-atomic-mass-
218-3703/

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

Introduction

Good day students! Are you excited for today’s lesson? Yes! We are going to study on how to calculate
the average atomic mass. The average atomic mass of an element is the sum of the masses of its isotopes,
each multiplied by its natural abundance.

B. MAIN LESSON

Content and Skill-Building

Average atomic mass = f1M1 + f2M2 + … + fnMn where f is the fraction representing the natural
abundance of the isotope and M is the mass number (weight) of the isotope.

The average atomic mass of an element can be found on the periodic table, typically under the
elemental symbol. When data are available regarding the natural abundance of various isotopes of an element,
it is simple to calculate the average atomic mass.

 For helium, there is approximately one isotope of Helium-3 for every million isotopes of Helium - 4;
therefore, the average atomic mass is very close to 4 amu (4.002602 amu).
 Chlorine consists of two major isotopes, one with 18 neutrons (75.77 percent of natural chlorine atoms)
and one with 20 neutrons (24.23 percent of natural chlorine atoms). The atomic number of chlorine is 17
(it has 17 protons in its nucleus).

To calculate the average mass, first convert the percentages into fractions (divide them by 100). Then,
calculate the mass numbers. The chlorine isotope with 18 neutrons has an abundance of 0.7577 and a mass
number of 35 amu. To calculate the average atomic mass, multiply the fraction by the mass number for each
isotope, and then add them together.

Average atomic mass of chlorine = (0.7577 x 35 amu) + (0.2423 x 37 amu) = 35.48 amu

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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: ________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: _____________________ Date: _________________________

Another example is to calculate the atomic mass of boron (B), which has two isotopes: B-10 with 19.9%
natural abundance and B-11 with 80.1% abundance. Therefore,

Average atomic mass of boron = (0.199 x 10 amu) + (0.801 x 11 amu) = 10.80 amu

Whenever we do mass calculations involving elements or compounds (combinations of elements), we

always use average atomic masses.

Pre – printed notes

ATOMIC MASS UNIT
 A nucleon has a mass of about 1 amu
 Most elements have variety of isotopes
 The atomic mass number for each element listed in the periodic table is the weighted average of the
masses of these isotopes based on the occurrence of each isotope on Earth
 For example, carbon with six protons and six neutrons has an atomic mass of 12.000 amu.
 About 1 percent of all carbon atoms, however, contain seven neutrons
 The heavier isotope raises the average atomic mass of carbon from 12.000 amu to 12.011 amu

Skill-building Activities

Directions: Calculate the average atomic mass, percent abundance, relative atomic mass. Show your
solutions, use back page for your computation.

1. In a sample of 400 lithium atoms, it is found that 30 atoms are lithium-6 (6.015 g/mol) and 370 atoms are
lithium-7 (7.016 g/mol). Calculate the average atomic mass of lithium.

A. Calculate the percent abundance for each isotope

Li-6:
Li-7:

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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: ________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: _____________________ Date: _________________________

B. Calculate the average atomic mass

x=
x=

2. A sample of element X contains 100 atoms with a mass of 12.00 and 10 atoms with a mass of 14.00.
Calculate the average atomic mass (in amu) of element X.

A. Calculate the percent abundance for each isotope:

X-12: X-14:

B. Calculate the average atomic mass:

x= x=

Check for Understanding

Directions: Calculate the fractional abundance and average atomic mass. Express your final answer in
average atomic mass to 3 decimal places.

A. Molybdenum

Fractional
Actual Atomic Percent Abundance
Isotope abundance= Percent
Mass (%)
Abundance/100
Mo- 92 91.906808 14.84
Mo- 94 93.905085 9.25
Mo- 95 94.905840 15.92
Mo- 96 95.904678 16.68
Mo- 97 96.906020 9.55
Mo- 98 97.905406 24.13
Mo- 100 99.907477 9.63
B. Tin

Fractional
Actual Atomic Percent Abundance
Isotope abundance= Percent
Mass (%)
Abundance/100
Sn- 112 111.904826 0.97
Sn- 114 113.902784 0.65
Sn- 115 114.903348 0.36
Sn- 116 115.901747 14.53
Sn- 117 116.902956 7.68
Sn- 118 117.901609 24.22

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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: ________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: _____________________ Date: _________________________

Sn- 119 118.903310 8.58

Sn- 120 119.902200 32.59
Sn- 122 121.903440 4.63
Sn- 124 123.905274 5.79

Answer:

A. B.

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Summary / Frequently Asked Questions (Sample Problem)

Calculation Level Up

1. Uranium is used in nuclear reactors and is a rare element on earth. Uranium has three common isotopes. If
the abundance of 234U is 0.01%, the abundance of 235U is 0.71%, and the abundance of 238U is 99.28%,
what is the average atomic mass of uranium? 237.98 amu

2. Titanium has five common isotopes: 46Ti (8.0%), 47Ti (7.8%), 48Ti (73.4%), 49Ti (5.5%), 50 Ti (5.3%).
What is the average atomic mass of titanium? 47.92 amu

3. Naturally occurring chlorine that is put in pools is 75.53 percent 35Cl (mass = 34.969 amu) and 24.47
percent 37Cl (mass = 36.966 amu). Calculate the average atomic mass. 35.46 amu

Thinking about Learning

Congratulations for finishing this module!

As we’ve finished the lesson for today, list down at least two lessons you’ve gained for today’s session.
1.________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key

Skill-building Activities

1. A. Li-6: 30/400 = 0.075 Li-7: 370/400 = 0.925

B. x = (6.015) (0.075) + (7.016) (0.925) x = 6.94 g/mol

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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: ________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: _____________________ Date: _________________________

2. A. X-12: 100/110 = 0.909 X-14: 10/110 = 0.091

B. x = (12.00) (0.909) + (14.00) (0.091) x = 12.18 amu

Check for Understanding

A. Molybdenum

Fractional
Actual Atomic Percent Abundance
Isotope abundance= Percent
Mass (%)
Abundance/100
Mo- 92 91.906808 14.84 0.1484
Mo- 94 93.905085 9.25 0.0925
Mo- 95 94.905840 15.92 0.1592
Mo- 96 95.904678 16.68 0.1668
Mo- 97 96.906020 9.55 0.0955
Mo- 98 97.905406 24.13 0.2413
Mo- 100 99.907477 9.63 0.0963
B. Tin

Fractional
Actual Atomic Percent Abundance
Isotope abundance= Percent
Mass (%)
Abundance/100
Sn- 112 111.904826 0.97 0.0097
Sn- 114 113.902784 0.65 0.0065
Sn- 115 114.903348 0.36 0.0036
Sn- 116 115.901747 14.53 0.1453
Sn- 117 116.902956 7.68 0.0768
Sn- 118 117.901609 24.22 0.2422
Sn- 119 118.903310 8.58 0.0858
Sn- 120 119.902200 32.59 0.3259
Sn- 122 121.903440 4.63 0.0463
Sn- 124 123.905274 5.79 0.0579

Answer:

A. 95.931 amu B. 118.710 amu

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