22.9k views
2 votes
Why is atomic mass measured in atomic mass units (amu)?

a. Protons and neutrons make up nearly all the mass of an atom, and each is worth 1 amu. Each atom of an element has a mass measured in amu; thus, its weighted average, or atomic mass, is measured in amu.

b. Electrons make up nearly all the mass of an atom, and each is worth 1 amu. Thus, their weighted average, or atomic mass, is measured in amu.

c. Electrons and neutrons make up nearly all the mass of an atom, and each is worth 1 amu. Each atom of an element has a mass measured in amu; thus, their weighted average, or atomic mass, is measured in amu.

d. Protons and electrons make up nearly all the mass of an atom, and each is worth 1 amu. Each atom of an element has a mass measured in amu; thus, their weighted average, or atomic mass, is measured in amu.

User Wilik
by
7.6k points

2 Answers

3 votes

Answer:

A

Step-by-step explanation:

Protons and neutrons make up nearly all the mass of an atom, and each is worth 1 amu. Each atom of an element has a mass measured in amu; thus, its weighted average, or atomic mass, is measured in amu.

Electrons are way way way....lighter so protons and neutrons are taken into account when doing atomic mass.

User Sanjay Rawat
by
7.6k points
2 votes

Answer:

The correct answer is option a. Protons and neutrons make up nearly all the mass of an atom, and each is worth 1 amu. Each atom of an element has a mass measured in amu; thus, its weighted average, or atomic mass, is measured in amu.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hello!

Let's solve this!

The unit of atomic mass (amu), which indicates the number of protons plus neutrons present in the nucleus of the atom, measures the mass of the atom.

This means that each of them measures 1 amu and in total they count the mass of the atom.

We conclude that the correct answer is option a. Protons and neutrons make up nearly all the mass of an atom, and each is worth 1 amu. Each atom of an element has a mass measured in amu; thus, its weighted average, or atomic mass, is measured in amu.

User Eric LaForce
by
7.7k points