Question

In a sample of silver, 51.84% of the atoms have a mass of 106.905 amu and 48.16% have a

mass of 108.905 amu. What is the atomic mass of silver?

Answer 1

The average atomic mass of silver, calculated using the abundance and mass of its isotopes, is approximately 107.906 amu.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks for the calculation of the atomic mass of silver based on the abundance and mass of its isotopes. To determine the atomic mass of silver, we can use the weighted average formula, where the atomic mass is the sum of the products of the mass of each isotope and its corresponding abundance percentage.

The formula for calculating the atomic mass is:

Atomic Mass = (Mass of Isotope 1 × Abundance of Isotope 1) + (Mass of Isotope 2 × Abundance of Isotope 2)

For silver, this would be:

Atomic Mass = (106.905 amu × 0.5184) + (108.905 amu × 0.4816)

Now we calculate each part:

• 106.905 amu × 0.5184 = 55.457472 amu
• 108.905 amu × 0.4816 = 52.44896 amu

Adding these together gives the atomic mass of silver:

55.457472 amu + 52.44896 amu = 107.906432 amu

The average atomic mass of silver is therefore approximately 107.906 amu.