Gravimetric analysis of the chloride content of an asteroid gave 13.85% ""^35Cl "(isotopic mass = 34.97 amu)", and 86.14% ""^37Cl "(isotopic mass = 36.97 amu)". What is the isotopic mass of chlorine in the asteroid?

1 Answer
anor277
May 29, 2017

The "local atomic mass" is 36.69 "amu".......

Explanation:

The atomic mass is the WEIGHTED average of the individual isotopes..........""^35Cl, and ""^37Cl.........

And thus the atomic mass for this asteroid............

(34.97xx0.1385+36.97xx0.8614)*"amu"

= 36.69*"amu".

This site reports that on Earth, the isotopic ratio is ""^35Cl, 76%, and ""^37Cl, 24%, which gives the atomic mass we generally use, i.e. Cl, 35.45*g*mol^-1............

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