Silicon has three naturally-occurring isotopes: \(92.23 \%\) of \(^{28} \mathrm{Si}\), with an atomic weight of 27.9769 amu, \(4.68 \%\) of \(^{29} \mathrm{Si}\), with an atomic weight of 28.9765 amu, and \(3.09 \%\) of \(^{30} \mathrm{Si}\) with an atomic weight of 29.9738 amu. On the basis of these data, confirm that the average atomic weight of \(\mathrm{Si}\) is 28.0854 amu.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Question: Calculate the average atomic weight of silicon using the given data on the naturally-occurring isotopes and their respective percentages of abundance. Answer: The calculated average atomic weight of silicon using the given data is approximately 28.082 amu, which is very close to the given value of 28.0854 amu.

Step by step solution

01

Convert percentages to decimals

We have the following percentages of abundances for each isotope: - 92.23% of \(^{28}\mathrm{Si}\) - 4.68% of \(^{29}\mathrm{Si}\) - 3.09% of \(^{30}\mathrm{Si}\) To use them in our formula, we need to convert them into decimals by dividing them by 100. - \(92.23\%\) -> \(0.9223\) - \(4.68\%\) -> \(0.0468\) - \(3.09\%\) -> \(0.0309\)
02

Use the formula to calculate the average atomic weight

Now we can use the given percentages of abundance (in decimals) and atomic weights to calculate the average atomic weight using the formula: Average Atomic Weight = (Percentage of Isotope 1 x Atomic Weight of Isotope 1) + (Percentage of Isotope 2 x Atomic Weight of Isotope 2) + (Percentage of Isotope 3 x Atomic Weight of Isotope 3) Average Atomic Weight = (0.9223 x 27.9769) + (0.0468 x 28.9765) + (0.0309 x 29.9738) Average Atomic Weight = 25.799 + 1.357 + 0.926 = 28.082
03

Compare the calculated value with the given value

Now we have calculated the average atomic weight of silicon to be 28.082 amu. Comparing this with the given value of 28.0854 amu, we can see that they are very close. Although it's not a perfect match, the calculated value of 28.082 amu is close enough to confirm that the average atomic weight of silicon is approximately 28.0854 amu, considering the given data on the naturally-occurring isotopes.

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.

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

Potassium iodide (KI) exhibits predominantly ionic bonding. The \(\mathrm{K}^{+}\) and \(\mathrm{I}^{-}\) ions have electron structures that are identical to which two inert gases?

With regard to electron configuration, what do all the elements in Group IIA of the periodic table have in common?

Allowed values for the quantum numbers of electrons are as follows: \\[ \begin{aligned} n &=1,2,3, \ldots \\ l &=0,1,2,3, \ldots, n-1 \\ m_{l} &=0,\pm 1,\pm 2,\pm 3, \ldots, \pm l \\ m_{s} &=\pm \frac{1}{2} \end{aligned} \\] The relationships between \(n\) and the shell designations are noted in Table \(2.1 .\) Relative to the subshells, \(l=0\) corresponds to an \(s\) subshell \(l=1\) corresponds to a \(p\) subshell \(l=2\) corresponds to a \(d\) subshell \(l=3\) corresponds to an \(f\) subshell For the \(K\) shell, the four quantum numbers for each of the two electrons in the 1 s state in the order of \(n l m_{l} m_{s},\) are \(100\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)\) and \(100\left(-\frac{1}{2}\right) .\) Write the four quantum numbers for all of the electrons in the \(L\) and \(M\) shells, and note which correspond to the \(s, p,\) and \(d\) subshells.

(a) How many grams are there in one amu of a material? (b) Mole, in the context of this book, is taken in units of gram-mole. On this basis, how many atoms are there in a pound-mole of a substance?

What type(s) of bonding would be expected for each of the following materials: solid xenon, calcium fluoride \(\left(\mathrm{CaF}_{2}\right),\) bronze, cadmium tel luride (CdTe), rubber, and tungsten?

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

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