Calculate the average atomic weight for carbon

What is the average atomic weight for carbon and how is it calculated? The average atomic weight for carbon is 12.01 amu. The calculation of average atomic weight is based on the isotopic weight and percent abundance of each isotope.

The average atomic weight for carbon can be calculated using the isotopic weight and percent abundance. The formula for calculating average atomic weight is:

Average Atomic Weight Formula:

Average Atomic Weight = (Isotope 1 weight × Percent abundance 1) + (Isotope 2 weight × Percent abundance 2) + ...

In the case of carbon, there are two isotopes: Carbon-12 with an isotopic weight of 12.000000 amu and Carbon-13 with an isotopic weight of 13.003355 amu. The percent abundance of Carbon-12 is 98.93% and the percent abundance of Carbon-13 is 1.07%.

Using the formula mentioned above, we can calculate the average atomic weight for carbon:

Calculation:

Average Atomic Weight = (12.000000 amu × 98.93%) + (13.003355 amu × 1.07%)

Average Atomic Weight = 11.871 amu + 0.139 amu = 12.01 amu

Therefore, the average atomic weight for carbon is 12.01 amu. This calculation helps us understand the relative abundance of each isotope and their contribution to the overall atomic weight of the element.

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