Kamis, 24 Agustus 2017

how to weight and determine the atomic element for energy from frequency atomic AMNIMARJESLOW


                                     How to Calculate Atomic Mass

Steps to Calculate Atomic Mass

 
                      Atomic mass  
 
 
  For a single atom, atomic mass is the sum of the protons and neutrons. Electrons are much smaller    than protons and neutrons, so their mass isn't factored into the calculation .
 
 

What Is Atomic Mass?

Atomic mass is the sum of the masses of the protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom, or the average mass, in a group of atoms. However, electrons have so much less mass than protons and neutrons that they don't factor into the calculation. So, the atomic mass is the sum of the masses of protons and neutrons. There are three ways to find atomic mass, depending on your situation.
Which one to use depends on whether you have a single atom, a natural sample of the element, or simply need to know the standard value.

3 Ways To Find Atomic Mass

1) Look Up Atomic Mass on the Periodic Table

If it's your first encounter with chemistry, your instructor will want you to learn how to use the periodic table to find the atomic mass (atomic weight) of an element. This number usually is given below an element's symbol. Look for the decimal number, which is a weighted average of the atomic masses of all the natural isotopes of an element.
Example: If you are asked to give the atomic mass of carbon, you first need to know its element symbol, C. Look for C on the periodic table. One number is carbon's element number or atomic number. Atomic number increase as you go across the table. This is not the value you want. The atomic mass or atomic weight is the decimal number, The number of significant figures varies according to the table, but the value is around 12.01.
This value on a periodic table is given in atomic mass units or amu, but for chemistry calculations, you usually write atomic mass in terms of grams per mole or g/mol. The atomic mass of carbon would be 12.01 grams per mole of carbon atoms.

2) Sum of Protons and Neutrons for a Single Atom

To calculate the atomic mass of a single atom of an element, add up the mass of protons and neutrons.
Example: Find the atomic mass of an isotope of carbon that has 7 neutrons. You can see from the periodic table that carbon has an atomic number of 6, which is its number of protons. The atomic mass of the atom is the mass of the protons plus the mass of the neutrons, 6 + 7, or 13.

3) Weighted Average for All Atoms of an Element

The atomic mass of an element is a weighted average of all the element's isotopes based on their natural abundance. It is simple to calculate the atomic mass of an element with these steps.

Typically, in these problems, you are provided with a list of isotopes with their mass and their natural abundance either as a decimal or percent value.
  1. Multiply each isotope's mass by its abundance. If your abundance is a percent, divide your answer by 100.
  2. Add these values together.
The answer is the total atomic mass or atomic weight of the element.
Example: You are given a sample containing 98% carbon-12 and 2% carbon-13. What is the relative atomic mass of the element?
First, convert the percentages to decimal values by dividing each percentage by 100. The sample becomes 0.98 carbon-12 and 0.02 carbon-13. (Tip: You can check your math by making certain the decimals add up to 1.
0.98 + 0.02 = 1.00).
Next, multiply the atomic mass of each isotope by the proportion of the element in the sample:
0.98 x 12 = 11.76
0.02 x 13 = 0.26
For the final answer, add these together:
11.76 + 0.26 = 12.02 g/mol
Advanced Note: This atomic mass is slightly higher than the value given in the periodic table for the element carbon. What does this tell you? The sample you were given to analyze contained more carbon-13 than average. You know this because your relative atomic mass is higher than the periodic table value, even though the periodic table number includes heavier isotopes, such as carbon-14. Also, note the numbers given on the periodic table apply to the Earth's crust/atmosphere and may have little bearing on the expected isotope ratio in the mantle or core or on other worlds. 

                                        

De Broglie Wavelength Example Problem

Finding the Wavelength of a Moving Particle

 
This example problem demonstrates how to find the wavelength of a moving electron using de Broglie's equation.​

Problem:

What is the wavelength of an electron moving at 5.31 x 106 m/sec?

Given: mass of electron = 9.11 x 10-31 kg
h = 6.626 x 10-34 J·s

Solution:

de Broglie's equation is

λ = h/mv

λ = 6.626 x 10-34 J·s/ 9.11 x 10-31 kg x 5.31 x 106 m/sec
λ = 6.626 x 10-34 J·s/4.84 x 10-24 kg·m/sec
λ = 1.37 x 10-10 m
λ = 1.37 Å
Answer:
The wavelength of an electron moving 5.31 x 106 m/sec is 1.37 x 10-10 m or 1.37 Å. 


Bohr Atom Energy Level Example Problem

Finding Energy of an Electron in a Bohr Energy Level

 
Atomic structure  
 
This example problem demonstrates how to find the energy that corresponds to an energy level of a Bohr atom.

Problem:

What is the energy of an electron in the 𝑛=3 energy state of a hydrogen atom?

Solution:

E = hν = hc/λ

According to the Rydberg formula:

1/λ = R(Z2/n2) where

R = 1.097 x 107 m-1
Z = Atomic number of the atom (Z=1 for hydrogen)

Combine these formulas:

E = hcR(Z2/n2)

h = 6.626 x 10-34 J·s
c = 3 x 108 m/sec
R = 1.097 x 107 m-1

hcR = 6.626 x 10-34 J·s x 3 x 108 m/sec x 1.097 x 107 m-1
hcR = 2.18 x 10-18 J

E = 2.18 x 10-18 J(Z2/n2)

E = 2.18 x 10-18 J(12/32)
E = 2.18 x 10-18 J(1/9)
E = 2.42 x 10-19 J

Answer: 

The energy of an electron in the n=3 energy state of a hydrogen atom is 2.42 x 10-19 J.

Energy from Frequency Example Problem

Spectroscopy Example Problem

If you know the frequency of a laser beam, you can calculate the energy of a photon. 
 
 
This example problem demonstrates how to find the energy of a photon from its frequency.

Problem:

The red light from a helium-neon laser has a frequency of 4.74 x 10​14 Hz. What is the energy of one photon?

Solution:

E = hν where

E = energy
h = Planck's constant = 6.626 x 10-34 J·s
ν = frequency

E = hν
E = 6.626 x 10-34 J·s x 4.74 x 1014 Hz
E = 3.14 x -19

The energy of a single photon of red light from a helium-neon laser is 3.14 x -19



Electron Capture Nuclear Reaction Example 

Gamma ray universe  

Gamma ray universe 


This example problem demonstrates how to write a nuclear reaction process involving electron capture.

Problem:

An atom of 13N7 undergoes electron capture and produces a gamma radiation photon.

Write a chemical equation showing this reaction.

Solution:

Nuclear reactions need to have the sum of protons and neutrons the same on both sides of the equation. The number of protons must also be consistent on both sides of the reaction.

Electron capture decay occurs when a K- or L-shell electron is absorbed into the nucleus and converts a proton into a neutron. This means the ​number of neutrons, N, is increased by 1 and the number of protons, A, is decreased by 1 on the daughter atom. The energy level change of the electron produces a gamma photon.

13Na7 + + 0e-1ZXA + γ

A = number of protons = 7 - 1 = 6

X = the element with atomic number = 6

According to the periodic table, X = Carbon or C.

The mass number, A, remains unchanged because the loss of one proton is offset by the addition of a neutron.

Z = 13

Substitute these values into the reaction:

13N7 + e-13C6 + γ







Nuclear Structure and Isotopes Practice Test Questions

Protons, Neutrons and Electrons in an Atom

Elements are identified by the number of protons in their nucleus. The number of neutrons in an atom's nucleus identifies the particular isotope of an element. The charge of an ion is the difference between the number of protons and electrons in an atom. Ions with more protons than electrons are positively charged and ions with more electrons than protons are negatively charged.
This ten question practice test will test your knowledge of the structure of atoms, isotopes and monatomic ions. You should be able to assign the correct number of protons, neutrons and electrons to an atom and determine the element associated with these numbers.
This test makes frequent use of the notation format ZXQAwhere:
Z = total number of neucleons (sum of number of protons and number of neutrons)
X = element symbol
Q = charge of ion. The charges are expressed as multiples of the charge of an electron. Ions with no net charge are left blank.
A = number of protons.
  If you are given a nuclear symbol, you can find the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom or ion.

Question 1

    
         If you are given a nuclear symbol, you can find the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom or ion. alengo / Getty Images
 The element X in the atom 33X16 is:
(a) O - Oxygen
(b) S - Sulfur
(c) As - Arsenic
(d) In - Indium
        
02
of 11

Question 2

 The element X in the atom 108X47 is:
(a) V - Vanadium
(b) Cu - Copper
(c) Ag - Silver
(d) Hs - Hassium
        
03
of 11

Question 3

What is the total number of protons and neutrons in the element 73Ge?
(a) 73
(b) 32
(c) 41
(d) 105
04
of 11

Question 4


What is the total number of protons and neutrons in the element 35Cl-?
(a) 17
(b) 22
(c) 34
(d) 35
05
of 11

Question 5

How many neutrons are in the isotope of zinc: 65Zn30?
(a) 30 neutrons
(b) 35 neutrons
(c) 65 neutrons
(d) 95 neutrons
06
of 11

Question 6

How many neutrons are in the isotope of barium: 137Ba56?
(a) 56 neutrons
(b) 81 neutrons
(c) 137 neutrons
(d) 193 neutrons
07
of 11

Question 7

 How many electrons are in an atom of 85Rb37?
(a) 37 electrons
(b) 48 electrons
(c) 85 electrons
(d) 122 electrons
08
of 11

Question 8

 How many electrons in the ion 27Al3+13?
(a) 3 electrons
(b) 13 electrons
(c) 27 electrons
(d) 10 electrons
09
of 11

Question 9

An ion of 32S16 is found to have a charge of -2. How many electrons does this ion have?
(a) 32 electrons
(b) 30 electrons
(c) 18 electrons
(d) 16 electrons
10
of 11

Question 10

An ion of 80Br35 is found to have a charge of 5+. How many electrons does this ion have?
(a) 30 electrons
(b) 35 electrons
(c) 40 electrons
(d) 75 electrons
11
of 11

Answers

1. (b) S - Sulfur
2. (c) Ag - Silver
3. (a) 73
4. (d) 35
5. (b) 35 neutrons
6. (b) 81 neutrons
7. (a) 37 electrons
8. (d) 10 electrons
9. (c) 18 electrons
10. (a) 30 electrons

                   
Printable Chemistry Worksheets

This is a downloadable soft colored periodic table.


Difference Between Atomic Weight and Atomic Mass 

Atomic weight and atomic mass are related terms. Atomic weight is the weighted average of atomic masses of the natural isotopes of an element. 

Atomic Mass Versus Atomic Weight

Atomic mass (ma) is the mass of an atom. A single atom has a set number of protons and neutrons, so the mass is unequivocal (won't change) and is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the atom. Electrons contribute so little mass that they aren't counted.
Atomic weight is a weighted average of the mass of all the atoms of an element, based on the abundance of isotopes. The atomic weight can change because it depends on our understanding of how much of each isotope of an element exists.
Both atomic mass and atomic weight rely on the atomic mass unit (amu), which is 1/12th the mass of an atom of carbon-12 in its ground state

If you find an element that exists as only one isotope, then the atomic mass and the atomic weight will be the same. Atomic mass and atomic weight may equal each other whenever you are working with a single isotope of an element, too.

In this case, you use the atomic mass in calculations rather than the atomic weight of the element from the periodic table 
 
Mass is a measure of the quantity of a substance, while weight is a measure of how a mass acts in a gravitational field. On Earth, where we are exposed to a fairly constant acceleration due to gravity, we don't pay much attention to the difference between the terms.
 
After all, our definitions of mass were pretty much made with Earth gravity in mind, so if you say a weight has a mass of 1 kilogram and a 1 weight of 1 kilogram, you're right. Now, if you take that 1 kg mass to the Moon, it's weight will be less.
So, when the term atomic weight was coined back in 1808, isotopes were unknown and Earth gravity was the norm. The difference between atomic weight and atomic mass became known when F.W. Aston, the inventor of the mass spectrometer (1927) used his new device to study neon .

At that time, the atomic weight of neon was believed to be 20.2 amu, yet Aston observed two peaks in the mass spectrum of neon, at relative masses 20.0 amu an 22.0 amu. Aston suggested there two actually two types of neon atoms in his sample: 90% of the atoms having a mass of 20 amu and 10% with a mass of 22 amu. This ratio gave a weighted average mass of 20.2 amu. He called the different forms of the neon atoms "isotopes." Frederick Soddy had proposed the term isotopes in 1911 to describe atoms that occupy the same position in the periodic table, yet are different.
Even though "atomic weight" is not a good description, the phrase has stuck around for historical reasons. 

Atomic Mass from Atomic Abundance Example Chemistry Problem

     

Worked Atomic Abundance Chemistry Problem

 
The atomic weight of an element is a weighted ratio of atomic weights. For boron, this means the number of neutrons in an atom isn't always 5. 
 
 
The atomic weight of an element is a weighted ratio of atomic weights. For boron, this means the number of neutrons in an atom isn't always
 
You may have noticed the atomic mass of an element isn't the same as the sum of the protons and neutrons of a single atom. This is because elements exist as multiple isotopes. While each atom of an element has the same number of protons, it can have a variable number of neutrons. The atomic mass on the periodic table is a weighted average of the atomic masses of atoms observed in all samples of that element.
You can use the atomic abundance to calculate the atomic mass of any element sample if you know the percentage of each isotope.

Atomic Abundance Example Chemistry Problem

The element boron consists of two isotopes, 105B and 115B. Their masses, based on the carbon scale, are 10.01 and 11.01, respectively. The abundance of 105B is 20.0% and the abundance of 115B is 80.0%.
What is the atomic mass of boron?
Solution: The percentages of multiple isotopes must add up to 100%. Apply the following equation to the problem:
atomic mass = (atomic mass X1) · (% of X1)/100 + (atomic mass X2) · (% of X2)/100 + ...
where X is an isotope of the element and % of X is the abundance of the isotope X.
Substitute the values for boron in this equation:
atomic mass of B = (atomic mass of 105B · % of 105B/100) + (atomic mass of 115B · % of 115B/100)
atomic mass of B = (10.01· 20.0/100) + (11.01· 80.0/100)
atomic mass of B = 2.00 + 8.81
atomic mass of B = 10.81
Answer:
The atomic mass of boron is 10.81.
Note that this is the value listed in the Periodic Table for the atomic mass of boron. Although the atomic number of boron is 10, its atomic mass is nearer to 11 than to 10, reflecting the fact that the heavier isotope is more abundant than the lighter isotope.



Mass is a physical property of matter and is expressed in SI units as kilogram. The atomic mass of elements is not actually the mass of their atoms in kilograms, rather it is a value giving the ratio of the atom's mass to that of the mass of a carbon atom which has been fixed at 12 a.m.u (atomic mass unit).
There are three particles that make up an atom, proton, neutron and electron. The mass of protons and neutrons is considered to be equal though in reality neutrons are heavier than protons; the mass of electrons is very less and ignored in the calculation of atomic mass.
An atom of Carbon has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, it is given an atomic mass of 12 a.m.u which makes each proton and neutron in the nucleus of any element contribute 1 a.m.u to the atom's atomic mass.
The number of protons is unique for each element but they can have different numbers of neutrons which leads to elements having isotopes with different atomic mass. The atomic mass of an element is the weighted average of the atomic mass of its isotopes. This requires a knowledge of the relative abundance of each isotope of the element



Atomic mass 

The atomic mass (ma) is the mass of an atom. Its unit is the unified atomic mass units (symbol: u, or Da) where 1 unified atomic mass unit is defined as 112 of the mass of a single carbon-12 atom, at rest.[1] For atoms, the protons and neutrons of the nucleus account for almost all of the mass, and the atomic mass measured in u has nearly the same value as the mass number.
When divided by unified atomic mass units or daltons to form a pure numeric ratio, the atomic mass of an atom becomes a dimensionless value called the relative isotopic mass (see section below). Thus, the atomic mass of a carbon-12 atom is 12 u or 12 daltons (Da), but the relative isotopic mass of a carbon-12 atom is simply 12.
The atomic mass or relative isotopic mass refers to the mass of a single particle, and is fundamentally different from the quantities Standard atomic weight, which refers to averages (mathematical means) of naturally occurring atomic mass values for samples of elements and both are dimensionless values because of division by 1 u (i.e., mass is made relative to the unit). Most elements have more than one stable nuclide; for those elements, such an average depends on the mix of nuclides present, which may vary to some limited extent depending on the source of the sample, as each nuclide has a different mass. (However, a typical value can be established, which is called the standard atomic weight.) By contrast, atomic mass figures refer to an individual particle species: as atoms of the same species are identical, atomic mass values are expected to have no intrinsic variance at all. Atomic mass figures are thus commonly reported to many more significant figures than atomic weights. Standard atomic weight is related to atomic mass by the abundance ranking of isotopes for each element. It is usually about the same value as the atomic mass of the most abundant isotope, other than what looks like (but is not actually) a rounding difference.
The atomic mass of atoms, ions, or atomic nuclei is slightly less than the sum of the masses of their constituent protons, neutrons, and electrons, due to binding energy mass loss (as per E=mc2).[2] 

   

Stylized lithium-7 atom: 3 protons, 4 neutrons, & 3 electrons (total electrons are ~14300th of the mass of the nucleus). It has a mass of 7.016 u. Rare lithium-6 (mass of 6.015 u) has only 3 neutrons, reducing the atomic weight (average) of lithium to 6.941 

Relative isotopic mass: the same quantity as atomic mass, but with different units

Relative isotopic mass (a property of a single atom) is not to be confused with the averaged quantity atomic weight (see above), that is an average of values for many atoms in a given sample of a chemical element.
Relative isotopic mass is similar to atomic mass and has exactly the same numerical value as atomic mass, whenever atomic mass is expressed in unified atomic mass units. The only difference in that case, is that relative isotopic mass is a pure number with no units. This loss of units results from the use of a scaling ratio with respect to a carbon-12 standard, and the word "relative" in the term "relative isotopic mass" refers to this scaling relative to carbon-12.
The relative isotopic mass, then, is the mass of a given isotope (specifically, any single nuclide), when this value is scaled by the mass of carbon-12, when the latter is set equal to 12. Equivalently, the relative isotopic mass of an isotope or nuclide is the mass of the isotope relative to 1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12 atom.
For example, the relative isotopic mass of a carbon-12 atom is exactly 12. For comparison, the atomic mass of a carbon-12 atom is exactly 12 daltons or 12 unified atomic mass units. Alternately, the atomic mass of a carbon-12 atom may be expressed in any other mass units: for example, the atomic mass of a carbon-12 atom is about 1.998467052 x 10−26 kilogram.
As in the case of atomic mass, no nuclides other than carbon-12 have exactly whole-number values of relative isotopic mass. As is the case for the related atomic mass when expressed in unified atomic mass units or daltons, the relative isotopic mass numbers of nuclides other than carbon-12 are not whole numbers, but are always close to whole numbers. This is discussed more fully below.

Similar terms for different quantities

The atomic mass and relative isotopic mass are sometimes confused, or incorrectly used, as synonyms of standard atomic weight (also known as atomic weight) and the standard atomic weight (a particular variety of atomic weight, in the sense that is a standardized atomic weight). However, as noted in the introduction, atomic weight and standard atomic weight represent terms for (abundance-weighted) averages of atomic masses in elemental samples, not for single nuclides. As such, atomic weight and standard atomic weight often differ numerically from relative isotopic mass and atomic mass, and they can also have different units than atomic mass when this quantity is not expressed in unified atomic mass units (see the linked article for atomic weight).
The atomic mass (relative isotopic mass) is defined as the mass of a single atom, which can only be one isotope (nuclide) at a time, and is not an abundance-weighted average, as in the case of relative atomic mass/atomic weight. The atomic mass or relative isotopic mass of each isotope and nuclide of a chemical element is therefore a number that can in principle be measured to a very great precision, since every specimen of such a nuclide is expected to be exactly identical to every other specimen, as all atoms of a given type in the same energy state, and every specimen of a particular nuclide, are expected to be exactly identical in mass to every other specimen of that nuclide. For example, every atom of oxygen-16 is expected to have exactly the same atomic mass (relative isotopic mass) as every other atom of oxygen-16.
In the case of many elements that have one naturally occurring isotope (mononuclidic elements) or one dominant isotope, the actual numerical similarity/difference between the atomic mass of the most common isotope, and the (standard) relative atomic mass or (standard) atomic weight can be small or even nil, and does not affect most bulk calculations. However, such an error can exist and even be important when considering individual atoms for elements that are not mononuclidic.
For non-mononuclidic elements that have more than one common isotope, the numerical difference in relative atomic mass (atomic weight) from even the most common relative isotopic mass, can be half a mass unit or more (e.g. see the case of chlorine where atomic weight and standard atomic weight are about 35.45). The atomic mass (relative isotopic mass) of an uncommon isotope can differ from the relative atomic mass, atomic weight, or standard atomic weight, by several mass units.
Atomic masses expressed in unified atomic mass units (i.e. relative isotopic masses) are always close to whole-number values, but never (except in the case of carbon-12) exactly a whole number, for two reasons:
  • protons and neutrons have different masses, and different nuclides have different ratios of protons and neutrons.
  • atomic masses are reduced, to different extents, by their binding energies.
The ratio of atomic mass to mass number (number of nucleons) varies from about 0.99884 for 56Fe to 1.00782505 for 1H.
Any mass defect due to nuclear binding energy is experimentally a small fraction (less than 1%) of the mass of equal number of free nucleons. When compared to the average mass per nucleon in carbon-12, which is moderately strongly-bound compared with other atoms, the mass defect of binding for most atoms is an even smaller fraction of a dalton (unified atomic mass unit, based on carbon-12). Since free protons and neutrons differ from each other in mass by a small fraction of a dalton (about 0.0014 u), rounding the relative isotopic mass, or the atomic mass of any given nuclide given in daltons to the nearest whole number always gives the nucleon count, or mass number. Additionally, the neutron count (neutron number) may then be derived by subtracting the number of protons (atomic number) from the mass number (nucleon count).

Mass defects in atomic masses

Binding energy per nucleon of common isotopes. A graph of the ratio of mass number to atomic mass would be similar.
The amount that the ratio of atomic masses to mass number deviates from 1 is as follows: the deviation starts positive at hydrogen-1, then decreases until it reaches a local minimum at helium-4. Isotopes of lithium, beryllium, and boron are less strongly bound than helium, as shown by their increasing mass-to-mass number ratios.
At carbon, the ratio of mass (in daltons) to mass number is defined as 1, and after carbon it becomes less than one until a minimum is reached at iron-56 (with only slightly higher values for iron-58 and nickel-62), then increases to positive values in the heavy isotopes, with increasing atomic number. This corresponds to the fact that nuclear fission in an element heavier than zirconium produces energy, and fission in any element lighter than niobium requires energy. On the other hand, nuclear fusion of two atoms of an element lighter than scandium (except for helium) produces energy, whereas fusion in elements heavier than calcium requires energy. The fusion of two atoms of He-4 to give beryllium-8 would require energy, and the beryllium would quickly fall apart again. He-4 can fuse with tritium (H-3) or with He-3, and these processes occurred during Big Bang nucleosynthesis. The formation of elements with more than seven nucleons requires the fusion of three atoms of He-4 in the so-called triple alpha process, skipping over lithium, beryllium, and boron to produce carbon.
Here are some values of the ratio of atomic mass to mass number:
NuclideRatio of atomic mass to mass number
1H1.00782505
2H1.0070508885
3H1.0053497592
3He1.0053431064
4He1.0006508135
6Li1.0025204658
12C1
14N1.0002195718
16O0.9996821637
56Fe0.9988381696
210Po0.9999184462
232Th1.0001640315
238U1.0002133958

Measurement of atomic masses

Direct comparison and measurement of the masses of atoms is achieved with mass spectrometry.

Conversion factor between atomic mass units and grams

The standard scientific unit used to quantify the amount of a substance in macroscopic quantities is the mole (symbol: mol), which is defined arbitrarily as the amount of a substance which has as many atoms or molecules as there are atoms in 12 grams of the carbon isotope C-12. The number of atoms in a mole is called Avogadro's number, the value of which is approximately 6.022 × 1023.
One mole of a substance always contains almost exactly the standard atomic weight or molar mass of that substance; however, this may or may not be true for the atomic mass, depending on whether or not the element exists naturally in more than one isotope. For example, the standard atomic weight of iron is 55.847 g/mol, and therefore one mole of iron as commonly found on earth has a mass of 55.847 grams. The atomic mass of the 56Fe isotope is 55.935 u and one mole of 56Fe atoms would then in theory have a mass of 55.935 g, but such amounts of pure 56Fe have never been found (or separated out) on Earth. However, there are 22 mononuclidic elements of which essentially only a single isotope is found in nature (common examples are fluorine, sodium, aluminum and phosphorus) and for these elements the standard atomic weight and atomic mass are the same. Samples of these elements therefore may serve as reference standards for certain atomic mass values.
The formula for conversion between atomic mass units and SI mass in grams for a single atom is:
where is the Molar mass constant and is the Avogadro constant.

Relationship between atomic and molecular masses

Similar definitions apply to molecules. One can compute the molecular mass of a compound by adding the atomic masses of its constituent atoms (nuclides). One can compute the molar mass of a compound by adding the relative atomic masses of the elements given in the chemical formula. In both cases the multiplicity of the atoms (the number of times it occurs) must be taken into account, usually by multiplication of each unique mass by its multiplicity.

 

The first scientists to determine relative atomic masses were John Dalton and Thomas Thomson between 1803 and 1805 and Jöns Jakob Berzelius between 1808 and 1826. Relative atomic mass (Atomic weight) was originally defined relative to that of the lightest element, hydrogen, which was taken as 1.00, and in the 1820s Prout's hypothesis stated that atomic masses of all elements would prove to be exact multiples of that of hydrogen. Berzelius, however, soon proved that this was not even approximately true, and for some elements, such as chlorine, relative atomic mass, at about 35.5, falls almost exactly halfway between two integral multiples of that of hydrogen. Still later, this was shown to be largely due to a mix of isotopes, and that the atomic masses of pure isotopes, or nuclides, are multiples of the hydrogen mass, to within about 1%.
In the 1860s Stanislao Cannizzaro refined relative atomic masses by applying Avogadro's law (notably at the Karlsruhe Congress of 1860). He formulated a law to determine relative atomic masses of elements: the different quantities of the same element contained in different molecules are all whole multiples of the atomic weight and determined relative atomic masses and molecular masses by comparing the vapor density of a collection of gases with molecules containing one or more of the chemical element in question.[3]
In the 20th century, until the 1960s chemists and physicists used two different atomic-mass scales. The chemists used a "atomic mass unit" (amu) scale such that the natural mixture of oxygen isotopes had an atomic mass 16, while the physicists assigned the same number 16 to only the atomic mass of the most common oxygen isotope (O-16, containing eight protons and eight neutrons). However, because oxygen-17 and oxygen-18 are also present in natural oxygen this led to two different tables of atomic mass. The unified scale based on carbon-12, 12C, met the physicists' need to base the scale on a pure isotope, while being numerically close to the chemists' scale.
The term atomic weight is being phased out slowly and being replaced by relative atomic mass, in most current usage. This shift in nomenclature reaches back to the 1960s and has been the source of much debate in the scientific community, which was triggered by the adoption of the unified atomic mass unit and the realization that weight was in some ways an inappropriate term. The argument for keeping the term "atomic weight" was primarily that it was a well understood term to those in the field, that the term "atomic mass" was already in use (as it is currently defined) and that the term "relative atomic mass" might be easily confused with relative isotopic mass (the mass of a single atom of a given nuclide, expressed dimensionlessly relative to 1/12 of the mass of carbon-12; see section above).
In 1979, as a compromise, the term "relative atomic mass" was introduced as a secondary synonym for atomic weight. Twenty years later the primacy of these synonyms was reversed, and the term "relative atomic mass" is now the preferred term.
However, the term "standard atomic weights" (referring to the standardized expectation atomic weights of differing samples) have maintained the same name.[4] In the case of this latter term, simple replacement of the "atomic weight" term with "relative atomic mass" would have resulted in the term "standard relative atomic mass."

Calculate weight average atomic mass of an element