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Chromium occurs naturally as four isotopes: 50cr with a mass of 49.9460 amu, 52cr with a mass of 51.9405 amu, 53cr with a mass of 52.9407 amu, and 54cr with a mass of 53.9389 amu. based on the information that is given on the periodic table, which isotope is the most abundant?

User Toasty
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Final answer:

The most abundant chromium isotope is typically the one whose mass is closest to the average atomic mass value that appears on the periodic table. For chromium, this is usually 52Cr due to its closeness to the element's standard atomic weight.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find which chromium isotope is the most abundant, we look at the atomic mass of chromium listed on the periodic table. We know that the average atomic mass of an element is the weighted average of all its isotopes taking into account their respective abundances. Thus, the most abundant isotope will contribute most to the average atomic mass on the periodic table.

In practice, we calculate the average atomic mass by multiplying the mass of each isotope by its relative abundance and summing these values. Since we do not have the actual abundances, we use the atomic mass provided on the periodic table as the reference. The isotope with a mass closest to this average atomic mass value is generally the most abundant.

For chromium (Cr), which has an atomic number of 24, the isotope closest to the average atomic mass value on the periodic table will typically be the most abundant. Without the exact atomic mass from the periodic table available in this question, we usually find that 52Cr, with a mass of 51.9405 amu, is the most abundant chromium isotope when checking the standard atomic weights.

User Yonkee
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Hello!

The most stable isotope of Chromium is ²Cr with a mass of 51,9405 amu.

We know that because of the information that we can find in the periodic table. Which information is that? The atomic weight of the element. Atomic weights are calculated taking into account the relative abundances of each isotope of the element. The isotope that is the most abundant one will influence more the atomic weight that is found in the periodic table.

For chromium, its atomic weight, that we can find on the periodic table, is 51,99 amu. The isotope weight that is nearest to this atomic weight is ⁵²Cr with a mass of 51,9405 amu, so that will be the most stable isotope.

Have a nice day!
User LychmanIT
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