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Write Brief Answer · Q26

Q.Define relative atomic mass.

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✓ Free question

Step 1. Recall that atoms cannot be weighed directly, so chemistry uses a relative scale referenced to carbon-12.

Step 2. The unified atomic mass unit (1 u) is defined as one-twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom in its ground state (1 u ≈ 1.6605×10^-27 kg).

Step 3. Relative atomic mass (Ar) of an element is the ratio: Ar = (average mass of the atom, using its natural isotope abundances) ÷ (1 u).

✓Final answer

Relative atomic mass = (average mass of the atom) ÷ (1/12 the mass of a carbon-12 atom); it is a unitless ratio.

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