The average atomic mass of zirconium is Isotope Natural abundance A ⁹⁰Zr 52% B ⁹¹Zr 11% C ⁹²Zr 17% D ⁹⁴Zr 17% E ⁹⁶Zr 3% A) less than 90 because the atomic mass only depends on the number of protons in the atom. B) 90 because ⁹⁰Zn has the highest natural abundance. C) greater than 90 but less than 96 because the atomic mass takes into account the abundance of all naturally occurring isotopes. D) 96 because the atomic mass is the mass of the highest naturally occurring isotope. E) greater than 96 because the atomic mass is the sum of masses of the naturally occurring isotopes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average atomic mass of an element is calculated by taking into account the masses of all its naturally occurring isotopes and their relative abundances. Since the isotopes of zirconium have masses ranging from 90 to 96 and are present in different abundances, the average atomic mass would be a weighted average of these values, making it greater than 90 but less than 96.

The Average Atomic Mass of Zirconium Is ​

The Average Atomic Mass of Zirconium Is