The confusion you're experiencing arises from a misunderstanding of the term "atomic mass" and how it relates to the concept of mass in general. Let's clarify some important points:
Mass: In physics, mass is a fundamental property of matter. It is a measure of the amount of substance an object contains, or how much matter is present in an entity. The mass of an object is not dependent on the number of atoms it contains.
Atomic Mass: Atomic mass refers to the mass of an individual atom of a particular element. It is expressed relative to the mass of a carbon-12 atom, which is assigned a mass of exactly 12 atomic mass units (u). The atomic mass of an atom is primarily determined by the total number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus, as electrons have negligible mass in comparison.
Avogadro's Number: Avogadro's number, approximately 6.022 x 10^23, is the number of atoms or molecules in one mole of a substance. This constant provides a bridge between the atomic scale and macroscopic scale, allowing us to relate the mass of an individual atom to the macroscopic mass of a sample.
To address your concern, atomic mass does not imply that an atom contains other atoms within it. Instead, it reflects the combined mass of the protons, neutrons, and electrons within the atom itself. The term "atomic mass" is well-established in scientific literature and serves as a useful way to describe the mass of an individual atom relative to a standard unit.
It's important to note that when we refer to the mass of an object, we are typically referring to the macroscopic mass, which is the sum of the masses of all the atoms or molecules in that object. The atomic mass of an individual atom is just one component contributing to the overall mass of an object.
In conclusion, "atomic mass" is not a misnomer but rather a term used to describe the relative mass of an individual atom compared to a reference standard. The concept of mass applies at both the macroscopic and atomic levels, but they are distinct in their definitions and contexts.