To find the atomic mass of an isotope, you need to consider the mass of each individual isotope and its abundance. The atomic mass is calculated by taking the weighted average of the masses of the isotopes present in a naturally occurring sample.
Here's a step-by-step process to find the atomic mass of an isotope:
Identify the isotopes: Determine the different isotopes of the element for which you want to find the atomic mass. Isotopes have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
Determine the mass of each isotope: Look up the mass of each isotope. The mass is usually given in atomic mass units (amu) or unified atomic mass units (u). This information can be found in the periodic table or other reliable sources.
Determine the abundance of each isotope: The abundance refers to the relative occurrence of each isotope in a naturally occurring sample. It is usually given as a percentage or a decimal fraction. Again, this information can be found in reliable sources or may be provided in the problem.
Calculate the weighted average: Multiply the mass of each isotope by its abundance. Then, sum the products obtained for each isotope.
weighted average = (mass1 x abundance1) + (mass2 x abundance2) + ...
Round the result: The final step is to round the calculated weighted average to the appropriate number of decimal places, typically the same as the atomic mass unit given in the periodic table.
It's important to note that the atomic mass of an element can vary slightly depending on the source of the sample, as the abundances of isotopes may differ.
If you have specific isotopic masses and abundances, I can help you calculate the atomic mass of the isotope.