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  • Step 1: Write out the chemical formula of the compound whose atomic mass you want to calculate. The chemical formula provides the number of atoms in one molecule of a compound (i.e. the chemical formula for water is H2O). For example, the chemical formula of phosphate is H3O4P.
  • Step 2: Look up the atomic mass for each individual element in the given compound on the periodic table. This number is commonly found just below the letter symbol for the element. For our example, the atomic mass of hydrogen (H) is 1.008 amu per atom, oxygen (O) is 16.00 amu per atom and phosphorous (P) is 30.97 amu per atom.
  • Step 3: Multiply the result for every atom in Step 2 by the number of atoms in one molecule of the compound. Phosphate contains three atoms of hydrogen, four atoms of oxygen and one atom of phosphorous in one molecule. So for phosphate the calculations would be as follows; 1.008 amu/atom x 3 hydrogen atoms per molecule = 3.024 amu of hydrogen per molecule, 16.00 amu/atom x 4 oxygen atoms per molecule = 64.00 amu of oxygen per molecule and 30.97 amu/atom x 1 phosphorous atom per molecule = 30.97 amu of phosphorous per molecule.
  • Step 4: Add the numbers calculated for each atom in Step 3 together to determine the total amu for one molecule of the compound. So for phosphate the atomic mass is 3.024 + 64.00 + 30.97 = 97.99 amu in one molecule of phosphate.
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15y ago
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6mo ago

The Atomic Mass unit (amu) is defined as 1/12th the mass of a carbon-12 atom. It is calculated by taking the weighted average of the masses of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element, based on their abundance in nature. The atomic mass listed on the Periodic Table is a weighted average taking into account the isotopic composition of the element.

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Q: How you calculate atomic mass unit?
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How do you calculate atomic mass unit of gold?

The atomic mass unit (amu) is a unit of mass used to express the average mass of an atom or molecule. To calculate the atomic mass unit of gold (Au), you would look at the atomic mass of gold on the periodic table, which is approximately 197 amu.


Is atomic mass unit a SI unit of an atomic mass?

The atomic mass unit is not a SI unit. An atomic mass unit is equal to 1/12 from the atomic mass of the isotope 12C.


What is the unit of an atomic mass for aluminum?

The unit of atomic mass for aluminum is atomic mass unit (amu) or unified atomic mass unit (u).


What is the unit of measurement use for atomic particles?

Atomic mass unit


What is the difference between atomic mass and atomic mass unit?

The atomic mass unit is used to express the measure of the atomic mass.


What is the unit for the mass of atomic particles?

Atomic Mass Unit (amu)


Relative atomic masses are measured in?

Atomic mass is measured in a unit called an "atomic mass unit". This unit is defined as 1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12 atom at ground state.An atomic mass unit is approximately 1.66053886 x 10-27 kg.Atomic mass is measured in atomic mass units (amu) and Daltons.


The acronym amu stands for?

Atomic mass unit (amu) is a unit of mass used to express atomic and molecular weights.


What is the abbreviation for the atomic mass unit?

The abbreviation for atomic mass unit is amu, which stands for atomic mass unit. It is a unit of mass used to express atomic and molecular weights.


What is one twelfth of the mass of the carbon 12 atom?

the answer is the atomic mass unit


What does amu satand for?

AMU stands for atomic mass unit. It is a unit of mass used to express atomic and molecular weights. 1 atomic mass unit is defined as one twelfth of the mass of an atom of carbon-12.


What does amu mean in the atomic mass of an element aside of it?

AMU stands for atomic mass unit. It is a unit of mass used to express atomic and molecular weights. One atomic mass unit is defined as a mass equal to one twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom.