Question

How can you convert from grams to atomic mass units (amu)?

Answer 1

To convert from grams to atomic mass units (amu), you can use Avogadro's number, which relates the mass of an atom in grams to its atomic mass unit. Avogadro's number is approximately $6.0221\times 10^{23}$ atoms per mole.

The formula for the conversion is as follows:

$\text{amu}=\frac{\text{grams}}{\text{atomic mass of the element}}\times \text{Avogadro’s number}$

Here's an example to illustrate the conversion:

Let's say you have 5 grams of carbon (atomic mass of carbon is approximately 12.01 amu). The conversion would be:

$\text{amu}=\frac{5\text{grams}}{12.01\text{amu}}\times 6.0221\times 10^{23}$

Simplifying the equation gives us:

$\text{amu}\approx 2.512\times 10^{24}$

Therefore, 5 grams of carbon is approximately equal to $2.512\times 10^{24}$ atomic mass units (amu).