An element, Q, contains 69% of\(^{63}\)Q and 31% of \(^{65}\)Q. What is the relative atomic mass of Q?
Answer Details
The relative atomic mass (RAM) of an element is the weighted average of the masses of all its isotopes, taking into account their abundance. In this case, we are given the percentage abundance of two isotopes of element Q, and we can use this information to calculate its RAM.
To calculate the RAM of Q, we need to multiply the atomic mass of each isotope by its percentage abundance (as a decimal), and then add these values together. The formula for calculating the RAM is:
RAM = (mass\(_{63}\)Q x % abundance of\(^{63}\)Q) + (mass\(_{65}\)Q x % abundance of\(^{65}\)Q)
The atomic mass of\(^{63}\)Q is 63, and the atomic mass of\(^{65}\)Q is 65. Substituting the given values into the formula, we get:
RAM = (63 x 0.69) + (65 x 0.31)
RAM = 43.47 + 20.15
RAM = 63.62
Therefore, the relative atomic mass of element Q is 63.62. So, the answer is option (B) 63.6.