How many isotopes does this element have?

Chemistry
10th Edition
ISBN:9781305957404
Author:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Publisher:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Chapter1: Chemical Foundations
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How many isotopes does this element have?
**Mass Spectrometry of an Element**

*National Math + Science Initiative*

**AP® Chemistry**

### Graph Description:

The graph is a mass spectrum illustrating the relative abundance of isotopes of an element on the y-axis and the mass (in atomic mass units, amu) on the x-axis. 

Key points of the graph:
- There are peaks at mass numbers 88, 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, and 98.
- The peak at mass 88 is the tallest, indicating the highest relative abundance.
- Other notable peaks are present at masses 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, and 98, with decreasing order of abundance.

### Questions:

2. Refer to the mass spec graph above to answer the following questions:

   a. How many isotopes does this element have?

   b. Use the graph to estimate the percentage of each isotope and then calculate the estimated average atomic mass for this element.

   i. Identify the element. 

**Instructions for Analysis:**

To answer question 2a, count the number of distinct mass peaks on the graph, representing the isotopes of the element.

For question 2b, estimate the percentage of each isotope using the height of each peak relative to the total height of all peaks, then apply the formula for average atomic mass:

\[
\text{Average Atomic Mass} = \sum (\text{fractional abundance} \times \text{mass of isotope})
\]

Finally, question 2i requires identifying the element, which can be based on the number of isotopes and their masses, compared with known isotopic compositions of elements.
Transcribed Image Text:**Mass Spectrometry of an Element** *National Math + Science Initiative* **AP® Chemistry** ### Graph Description: The graph is a mass spectrum illustrating the relative abundance of isotopes of an element on the y-axis and the mass (in atomic mass units, amu) on the x-axis. Key points of the graph: - There are peaks at mass numbers 88, 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, and 98. - The peak at mass 88 is the tallest, indicating the highest relative abundance. - Other notable peaks are present at masses 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, and 98, with decreasing order of abundance. ### Questions: 2. Refer to the mass spec graph above to answer the following questions: a. How many isotopes does this element have? b. Use the graph to estimate the percentage of each isotope and then calculate the estimated average atomic mass for this element. i. Identify the element. **Instructions for Analysis:** To answer question 2a, count the number of distinct mass peaks on the graph, representing the isotopes of the element. For question 2b, estimate the percentage of each isotope using the height of each peak relative to the total height of all peaks, then apply the formula for average atomic mass: \[ \text{Average Atomic Mass} = \sum (\text{fractional abundance} \times \text{mass of isotope}) \] Finally, question 2i requires identifying the element, which can be based on the number of isotopes and their masses, compared with known isotopic compositions of elements.
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