What is relative atomic mass?
The weighted average mass of an element’s atoms, accounting for its isotopes.
AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) — Chemistry — Foundation · 5.1.1.6
Revise AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) — Chemistry — Foundation specification point 5.1.1.6, Relative atomic mass, with free active-recall flashcards. Flip through the set or review every question and answer below.
1 / 6
What is relative atomic mass?
The weighted average mass of an element’s atoms, accounting for its isotopes.
How do isotopes of the same element differ in their atomic composition and mass?
They have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, so they have different masses.
How does isotope abundance affect an element’s relative atomic mass?
The more abundant an isotope is, the more it influences the weighted average.
What is the relative atomic mass of an element?
The weighted mean of its isotopes’ relative masses, accounting for their abundances.
How is relative atomic mass calculated from isotopic masses and abundances?
Multiply each isotopic relative mass by its abundance, add the products, then divide by the sum of the abundances. For percentage abundances, divide by 100.
How does an isotope’s abundance affect its contribution to relative atomic mass?
A more abundant isotope contributes more to the result than a less abundant isotope.