Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Isotopes
Monday in class, we learned about isotopes. Isotopes are two or more forms of the same element containing the same number of protons, but different number of neutrons. Neutrons are responsible for giving an element it's mass; therefore, isotopes have different atomic masses. To calculate average atomic mass of all isotopes for a particular element, the mass of each isotope is multiplied by it's percent abundance and then added together. For a deeper explanation and more clarification on the topic, I found the following video very helpful. Atomic Mass: Introduction
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After the notes I was very confused how to calculate the atomic mass average for multiple isotopes. I knew the formula was (mass)(%)+(mass)(%)=average mass of element, but I needed a video to break it down. Thanks for the video Lauren it was very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Evan in that i was pretty confused just after the notes Monday! Your post and the attached video made it very easy to understand what is going on in this equation and why. The only thing I would add would be the formula typed out in parenthetical form perhaps instead of sentences. Good job!
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