mass number
(noun)
The sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in an atom.
(noun)
The total number of protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus.
Examples of mass number in the following topics:
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Atomic Number and Mass Number
- The atomic number is the number of protons in an element, while the mass number is the number of protons plus the number of neutrons.
- An element's mass number (A) is the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons.
- The small contribution of mass from electrons is disregarded in calculating the mass number.
- Isotopes of the same element will have the same atomic number but different mass numbers.
- Determine the relationship between the mass number of an atom, its atomic number, its atomic mass, and its number of subatomic particles
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Average Atomic Mass
- For any given isotope, the sum of the numbers of protons and neutrons in the nucleus is called the mass number.
- By adding together the number of protons and neutrons and multiplying by 1 amu, you can calculate the mass of the atom.
- Then, calculate the mass numbers.
- The chlorine isotope with 18 neutrons has an abundance of 0.7577 and a mass number of 35 amu.
- To calculate the average atomic mass, multiply the fraction by the mass number for each isotope, then add them together.
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Converting between Mass and Number of Moles
- A substance's molar mass can be used to convert between the mass of the substance and the number of moles in that substance.
- By recognizing the relationship between the molar mass (g/mol), moles (mol), and particles, scientists can use dimensional analysis convert between mass, number of moles and number of atoms very easily.
- Therefore, we can divide 10.0 g of Ni by the molar mass of Ni to find the number of moles present.
- Given a sample's mass and number of moles in that sample, it is also possible to calculate the sample's molecular mass by dividing the mass by the number of moles to calculate g/mol.
- Convert between the mass and the number of moles, and the number of atoms, in a given sample of compound
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Molar Mass of Gas
- Molar mass (M) is equal to the mass of one mole of a particular element or compound; as such, molar masses are expressed in units of grams per mole (g mol–1) and are often referred to as molecular weights.
- The molar mass of a particular gas is therefore equal to the mass of a single particle of that gas multiplied by Avogadro's number (6.02 x 1023 ).
- The average molar mass of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the mole fractions of each gas, multiplied by their respective molar masses:
- where m is the mass of the gas, and M is the molar mass.
- What is the molar mass of the gas?
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Mass
- In theoretical physics, a mass generation mechanism is a theory which attempts to explain the origin of mass from the most fundamental laws of physics.
- To date, a number of different models have been proposed which advocate different views at the origin of mass.
- The physical property we are covering in this atom is called mass.
- Weight is a different property of matter that, while related to mass, is not mass, but rather the amount of gravitational force acting on a given body of matter.
- Mass is an intrinsic property that never changes.
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The Law of Conservation of Mass
- The law of conservation of mass states that mass in an isolated system is neither created nor destroyed.
- However, Antoine Lavoisier described the law of conservation of mass (or the principle of mass/matter conservation) as a fundamental principle of physics in 1789.
- In other words, in a chemical reaction, the mass of the products will always be equal to the mass of the reactants.
- We can therefore visualize chemical reactions as the rearrangement of atoms and bonds, while the number of atoms involved in a reaction remains unchanged.
- This assumption allows us to represent a chemical reaction as a balanced equation, in which the number of moles of any element involved is the same on both sides of the equation.
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Molar Mass of Compounds
- The molar mass of a particular substance is the mass of one mole of that substance.
- Chemists can measure a quantity of matter using mass, but in chemical reactions it is often important to consider the number of atoms of each element present in each sample.
- One mole (abbreviated mol) is equal to the number of atoms in 12 grams of carbon-12; this number is referred to as Avogadro's number and has been measured as approximately 6.022 x 1023.
- The characteristic molar mass of an element is simply the atomic mass in g/mol.
- However, molar mass can also be calculated by multiplying the atomic mass in amu by the molar mass constant (1 g/mol).
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Mass-to-Mole Conversions
- Mass-to-mole conversions can be facilitated by employing the molar mass as a conversion ratio.
- The relative atomic mass is a ratio between the average mass of an element and 1/12 of the mass of an atom of carbon-12.
- The molar mass value can be used as a conversion factor to facilitate mass-to-mole and mole-to-mass conversions.
- The molar mass of water is 18 g/mol.
- This video describes how to determine the number of moles of reactants and products if given the number of grams of one of the substances in the chemical equation.
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Mass-to-Mass Conversions
- Mass-to-mass conversions cannot be done directly; instead, mole values must serve as intermediaries in these conversions.
- It is not possible to directly convert from the mass of one element to the mass of another.
- Because there is no direct way to compare the mass of butane to the mass of oxygen, the mass of butane must be converted to moles of butane:
- With the number of moles of butane equal to 54 grams, it is possible to find the moles of O2 that can react with it.
- A chart detailing the steps that need to be taken to convert from the mass of substance A to the mass of substance B.
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Mass Spectrometry to Measure Mass
- Mass spectrometers separate compounds based on a property known as the mass-to-charge ratio: the mass of the atom divided by its charge.
- A mass analyzer, which sorts the ions by mass by applying electromagnetic fields
- Plasma gas is electrically neutral overall, but a substantial number of its atoms are ionized by the high temperature.
- Mass analyzers separate the ions according to their mass-to-charge ratios.
- There are many types of mass analyzers.