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Matthew B JusufCambridge (CIE) AS Your notes
Chemistry
Relative Masses of Atoms & Molecules
Contents
Relative Masses
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Relative Masses
Your notes
Relative Masses
Atomic Mass Unit
The mass of a single atom is so small that it is impossible to weigh it directly
Atomic masses are therefore defined in terms of a standard atom which is called the
unified atomic mass unit
This unified atomic mass is defined as one-twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 isotope
The symbol for the unified atomic mass is u (often Da, Dalton, is used as well)
1 u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg
Relative atomic mass, Ar
The relative atomic mass (Ar) of an element is the ratio of the average mass of the atoms
of an element to the unified atomic mass unit
The relative atomic mass is determined by using the average mass of the isotopes of a
particular element
The Ar has no units as it is a ratio and the units cancel each other out
average mass of one atom of X
Relative atomic mass of X =
one twelfth of the mass of one carbon − 12 atom
Relative isotopic mass
The relative isotopic mass is the mass of a particular atom of an isotope compared to
the value of the unified atomic mass unit
Atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons are called isotopes
Isotopes are represented by writing the mass number as 20Ne, or neon-20 or Ne-20
To calculate the average atomic mass of an element the percentage abundance is
taken into account
Multiply the atomic mass by the percentage abundance for each isotope and add
them all together
Divide by 100 to get average relative atomic mass
This is known as the weighted average of the masses of the isotopes
Σ( isotope percentage abundance × isotope mass number )
Relative atomic mass =
100
Relative molecular mass, Mr
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The relative molecular mass (Mr) is the ratio of weighted average mass of a molecule of a
molecular compound to the unified atomic mass unit
Your notes
The Mr has no units
weighted average mass of molecules in a given sample of a molecular compound
Mr =
unified atomic mass unit
The Mr can be found by adding up the relative atomic masses of all atoms present in one
molecule
When calculating the Mr the simplest formula for the compound is used, also known as
the formula unit
Eg. silicon dioxide has a giant covalent structure, however the simplest formula (the
formula unit) is SiO2
Example Mr calculations
Substance Atoms present Mr
Hydrogen (H2) 2xH (2 x 1.0) = 2.0
Water (H2O) (2 x H) + (1 x O) (2 x 1.0) + (1 x 16.0) = 18.0
Potassium carbonate (2 x K) + (1 x C) + (3 x O) (2 x 39.1) + (1 x 12.0) + (3 x 16.0) =
(K2CO3) 138.2
Calcium hydroxide (1 x Ca) + (2 x O) + (2 x H) (1 x 40.1) + (2 x 16.0) + (2 x 1.0) = 74.1
(Ca(OH)2)
Ammonium sulfate (2 x N) + (8 x H) + (1 x S) + (2 x 14.0) + (8 x 1.0) + (1 x 32.1) + (4 x
((NH4)2SO4) (4 x O) 16.0) = 132.1
Relative formula mass, Mr
The relative formula mass (Mr) is used for compounds containing ions
It has the same units and is calculated in the same way as the relative molecular mass
In the table above, the Mr for potassium carbonate, calcium hydroxide and ammonium
sulfates are relative formula masses
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