The relative atomic mass, also known as atomic weight, represents the average mass of an atom of an element compared to 1/12th the mass of a carbon-12 atom. It is a dimensionless quantity, typically expressed in atomic mass units (amu) or unified atomic mass units (u).
The relative atomic mass of different types of atoms can vary since it depends on the isotopic composition of the element. Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses.
Here are the relative atomic masses of some common elements:
- Hydrogen (H): 1.00784 u
- Carbon (C): 12.011 u
- Oxygen (O): 15.999 u
- Nitrogen (N): 14.007 u
- Sodium (Na): 22.990 u
- Magnesium (Mg): 24.305 u
- Aluminum (Al): 26.982 u
- Silicon (Si): 28.085 u
- Sulfur (S): 32.06 u
- Chlorine (Cl): 35.45 u
- Iron (Fe): 55.845 u
- Copper (Cu): 63.546 u
- Zinc (Zn): 65.38 u
- Silver (Ag): 107.868 u
- Iodine (I): 126.90 u
It's important to note that these values represent the average atomic masses of the naturally occurring isotopes of each element, taking into account their relative abundances. However, for some elements, the relative atomic mass may vary slightly depending on the specific isotopic composition or if isotopically enriched samples are used.