Question
Why are all atomic masses not nearly whole numbers?
Responses
This is because of experimental error.
This is because of experimental error.
This is due to binding energy of the atoms.
This is due to binding energy of the atoms.
This is because atomic masses are the weighted average of the masses of all naturally-occurring isotopes.
This is because atomic masses are the weighted average of the masses of all naturally-occurring isotopes.
This is due to the mass of all the electrons in the atom.
This is due to the mass of all the electrons in the atom.
Responses
This is because of experimental error.
This is because of experimental error.
This is due to binding energy of the atoms.
This is due to binding energy of the atoms.
This is because atomic masses are the weighted average of the masses of all naturally-occurring isotopes.
This is because atomic masses are the weighted average of the masses of all naturally-occurring isotopes.
This is due to the mass of all the electrons in the atom.
This is due to the mass of all the electrons in the atom.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct explanation for why atomic masses are not nearly whole numbers is:
**This is because atomic masses are the weighted average of the masses of all naturally-occurring isotopes.**
Atomic masses are calculated based on the relative abundance and masses of an element's isotopes. Since different isotopes have different masses (due to variations in the number of neutrons) and they exist in varying proportions in nature, the resulting average is often not a whole number. Additionally, the masses of protons and neutrons are slightly different from whole numbers due to binding energy and the mass-energy equivalence. However, the dominant reason for non-integer atomic mass values is the presence of multiple isotopes and their respective abundances.
**This is because atomic masses are the weighted average of the masses of all naturally-occurring isotopes.**
Atomic masses are calculated based on the relative abundance and masses of an element's isotopes. Since different isotopes have different masses (due to variations in the number of neutrons) and they exist in varying proportions in nature, the resulting average is often not a whole number. Additionally, the masses of protons and neutrons are slightly different from whole numbers due to binding energy and the mass-energy equivalence. However, the dominant reason for non-integer atomic mass values is the presence of multiple isotopes and their respective abundances.