Chapter 15, Problem 16RQ

Solution

To determine: The differences between mass number and the atomic mass of the atom

Answer:

The main difference between the mass number and the atomic mass of the atom is that the mass number is simply the counting of the number of protons and neutrons in the atoms, while atomic mass is the average weight of an element.

Explanation:

The difference between the mass number and the atomic number is shown in the table.

Mass number	Atomic number
It is the counting of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom.	It is the average weight of an element.
It always has natural values.	It may have a decimal or non-decimal values.
Its values never change and remain the same for a particular atom.	Its value may sometimes change over time.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the main difference between the mass number and the atomic mass of the atom is that the mass number is simply the counting of the number of protons and neutrons in the atoms, while atomic mass is the average weight of an element.