Does the mass of an isotope directly relate to the molar mass of the atom?

1 Answer
May 7, 2016

No, we need a multiplier, and the multiplier is Avogadro's number, NA.

Explanation:

We often cite atomic mass as 12.00g, 12C, 16.00g, 16O, of course, here we refer to the mass of a mole, Avogadro's number, of such isotopes. Now, the actual mass of a single isotope, a single atom, is (of course) considerably less than these gram quantities. Nevertheless, chemists deal (typically) in gram quantities, and using Avogadro's number we can relate the macro world of grams and kilograms to the micro world of atoms and molecules.

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