Lab 4: Atomic Mass of Candium

   The purpose of the Atomic Mass of Candium lab is to determine the average atomic mass of the element candium. The lab requires the measurement of the mass for each isotope of candium by using a balance. Then the samples of each isotope has to be individually counted. The average mass of each isotope is then calculated by dividing the total mass by the total amount of each isotope. Next, the percent and decimal abundance is determined. Finally, the average atomic mass is calculated by using the formula.

The average atomic mass comes out to 1.1g




Conclusion Questions
1. Ask a group nearby what their average atomic mass was. Why would your average atomic mass be different than theirs? 
   The average atomic mass of the other group was 1.053 g. The mass is different because our grouop has different amounts of each isotope compared to the other group.

2. If larger samples of candium were used, for example if I gave you a whole backpack filled with candium, would the difference between your average atomic mass and others' average atomic masses be bigger or smaller? Defend your answer.
   The differences between the average atomic masses would be smaller because having more isotope samples will increase the accuracy of the average.

3. If you took any piece of candium from your sample and placed it on the balance, would it have the exact average atomic mass that you calculated? Why or why not?
   The piece of candium would not have the exact average atomic mass because each sample of candium could be a different isotope. The average atomic mass is an average between all the isotopes, so it can not always have the same atomic mass as a sample of candium.

   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lab 11: Flame Test Lab

Image
   During the Flame Test Lab,  metallic ions were burned and vaporized to exhibit specific colors. Nine solutions and two unknown solutions were burned and displayed colors ranging from pink to blue. Pre-Lab Questions 1. What is the difference between ground state and excited state?    When an atom is in its ground state, it is in its lowest but stable energy level. When an atom is in its excited state, an electron has jumped from its orbital level to another one. 2. What does the word "emit" mean?    Emit means to produce or release something. 3. In this experiment, where are the atoms getting their excess energy from?    The atoms are getting excess energy from the heat. 4. Why do different atoms emit different colors of light?    The atoms emit different colors of light because the energy that was absorbed from the heat emits electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths. Data Analysis ...
Read more

Lab 1: Density Block Lab

Image
In the Density Block Lab,  the purpose is to calculate the mass of the block of material. This experiment consists of finding the mass of a cubic block  by multiplying the density and the calculated the volume. The lab concludes with comparing the experimental mass with the mass the instructor calculated. The experimental mass is compared with the actual mass to calculate the percent error.  Density is the amount of mass per unit of volume. Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Volume is the quantity of three dimensional space taken up by an object. Significant figures is each of the digits of a number that are used to express it to the required degree of accuracy. The equipment used in the lab are a ruler and a balance. The material needed for this lab was a cubic block of an unknown material.  First, the volume of the block was calculated by measuring the length, width, and height. Next, the mass was determined by multiplying the volume, 13.834 cubic cm, b...
Read more