Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 17

What fraction or percentage of carbon atoms has a mass of \(12.011\) amu?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Nearly all -- or approximately \(98.93\%\) -- of carbon atoms have a mass of \(12.011\) amu.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Nature of Carbon Isotopes

Recognize that naturally occurring carbon is a mixture of isotopes. The most common isotope is Carbon-12, which accounts for the vast majority of all carbon found on earth.
02

Identify the Mass of the Given Isotope

Recognize that the given atomic mass unit (amu) of \(12.011\) matches the atomic mass of the most common carbon isotope, Carbon-12.
03

Calculate the Fraction

Given that Carbon-12 makes up about 98.93% of naturally occurring carbon, virtually all carbon atoms you encounter will have a mass of \(12.011\) amu. Therefore, the fraction is nearly 1 (or \(100\%\) if expressed as a percentage) of carbon atoms that have this mass.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Describe what all isotopes of magnesium have in common and also how they are different.

What is the mass (in amu) of a) \(1000^{12} \mathrm{C}\) atoms? b) \(1000^{13} \mathrm{C}\) atoms?

Examine the periodic table and find the symbol for magnesium. a) How does the number given just below the symbol for magnesium (rounded to two decimal places) compare with the average mass (in amu) of one magnesium atom? b) How does the number given just below the symbol for magnesium (rounded to two decimal places) compare with the mass (in grams) of \(6.022 \times 10^{23}\) magnesium atoms?

Give two interpretations of the number "12.011" found below the symbol for carbon on the periodic table.

If you select 1000 carbon atoms at random, the total mass will most likely be: i) \(\quad 12000.0 \mathrm{amu}\) ii) slightly more than \(12000.0 \mathrm{amu}\) iii) slightly less than \(12000.0\) amu iv) \(\quad 13003.4\) amu v) slightly less than \(13003.4\) amu Explain your reasoning.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free