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PSI Chemistry
Objective:
The goals of this lab are to:
To use the relative masses and relative abundances of the isotopes of the new element
Beanium to determine its average atomic mass.
Understand the difference between an average and a weighted average.
Background:
Most elements have naturally occurring isotopes. Isotopes are atoms of the same element with a
different number of neutrons and therefore having different masses. The relative masses and relative
abundances of these naturally occurring isotopes are used to determine the average atomic mass of
an element. The average atomic mass is a weighted average. A weighted average unlike an average
takes into account the relative abundances of the naturally occurring isotopes and is the best
determination of the average atomic mass.
Materials:
Three or four different samples of beans, balance, pencil, and laboratory record sheet and
weighing dishes (if available).
Have the students determine the atomic mass of magnesium using an average and a weighted
average. They will see that an average gives a value of 24.98449 amu and a weighted
average gives the actual atomic mass of 24.3050 amu. The predominance of 24Mg, nearly
80% of the total, gives rise to a smaller value for the average atomic mass for a weighted
average than if you calculated a regular average. The regular average assumes, in this case
because there are three isotopes, that each isotope has a 33.333% abundance, but this is not
true.
To ensure the students can complete the actual mathematical computation have them
calculate the average atomic mass. It is good idea to make up fictitious elements made from
your name, school name, or their names so that they can practice and not be able to look up
the actual answer.
Challenge: Have the students determine the relative mass of an isotope of an element that
has two or more naturally occurring isotopes. Give the students the average atomic mass of
the element, the relative abundance of each of the isotopes and the relative masses of the
other one or two naturally occurring isotopes and see if they can solve for the relative mass of
the remaining isotope.