SUMMARY
Sulfur has four naturally occurring isotopes: Sulfur-32 (95.0% abundance), Sulfur-33 (0.76% abundance), Sulfur-34 (4.22% abundance), and Sulfur-36 (0.014% abundance). The average atomic mass of sulfur can be calculated using the formula: (mass of isotope × abundance of isotope) summed for all isotopes, then divided by 100. The specific calculation for sulfur involves multiplying the mass of each isotope by its respective abundance and summing these products. The average atomic mass of sulfur is determined to be 32.06 g.
PREREQUISITES
- Understanding of isotopes and their abundances
- Basic knowledge of atomic mass calculations
- Familiarity with weighted averages
- Ability to perform multiplication and addition of decimal numbers
NEXT STEPS
- Learn about the concept of isotopes in chemistry
- Study the calculation of average atomic mass in detail
- Explore the significance of isotopic abundance in scientific research
- Investigate how isotopes are used in various applications, such as radiometric dating
USEFUL FOR
Chemistry students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding atomic structure and isotopic calculations.