Answer – The atomic mass of a carbon atom can be determined by two methods: using the average atomic mass and using the isotopic abundances.
Explanation:
The atomic mass is the sum of an atom’s individual proton and neutron masses. A carbon atom has 6 protons and 6 neutrons. Each of these protons and neutrons weighs approximately 1 amu.
Therefore, the atomic mass of a carbon is 6 x 1 + 6 x 1 = 12.0 amu.
Another method involves using isotopic abundances. Carbon has two stable isotopes: carbon-12 and carbon-13. They have atomic masses of 12 amu and 13 amu, respectively. The average atomic mass of carbon is calculated as the addition of the percent abundance of each isotope in a sample of carbon.
For example, if a sample of carbon contains 98.89% carbon-12 and 1.10% carbon-13, the average atomic mass of carbon is (98.89% × 12 amu) + (1.10% × 13 amu) = 12.0098 ≅ 12.01 amu.
This method is more accurate than using the average atomic mass alone.
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