Question

A 7.98 g sample of copper is contaminated with 0.5 g of zinc. What would the atomic mass be?

A. The atomic mass is unchanged.
B. It depends on the contamination level.
C. The atomic mass increases.
D. The atomic mass decreases.

Answer 1

The atomic mass of copper is not affected by contamination with zinc; the atomic mass remains unchanged despite the presence of another element.

Step-by-step explanation:

The atomic mass of an element, such as copper or zinc, is defined as the weighted average of the masses of its naturally occurring isotopes, which does not change due to surface contamination. Therefore, if a 7.98 g sample of copper is contaminated with 0.5 g of zinc, the atomic mass of copper does not change as a result of this contamination. The correct answer to the question is A. The atomic mass is unchanged.