Argon has three naturally occurring isotopes: argon-36, argon-38, and argon-40. Based on argon's reported atomic mass, which isotope do you think is the most abundant in nature? Explain.
Answer (3)
Argon-40 is the most abundant **isotope **of argon in nature because the reported **atomic mass **of argon is closer to 40 atomic mass units.
Given that **argon **has three naturally occurring isotopes: argon-36, argon-38, and argon-40, compare their masses to determine which one is most likely to contribute the most to the average atomic mass of argon.
The atomic mass of argon is typically given as approximately 39.95 atomic mass units (u). This value is a weighted average of the **masses **of the different isotopes of argon, taking into account their relative abundance in nature.
Argon-36 has a mass of approximately 36 atomic mass units.
Argon-38 has a mass of approximately 38 atomic mass units.
Argon-40 has a mass of approximately 40 atomic mass units.
Since the reported atomic mass of argon is closer to 40 atomic mass units, it suggests that argon-40 is the most abundant isotope of argon in nature.
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The relative atomic mass of Argon is 39.948. This is very close to the mass of argon-40. Usually, the relative atomic mass of an element is the sum of the percentage abundance of each isotope in nature multiplied by its mass. The result of this sum is normally biased towards the isotope with the highest abundance. In the case of argon, argon-40 must have the highest abundance, hence the value of the relative atomic mass.
The most abundant isotope of argon is argon-40, as it closely matches the average atomic mass of approximately 39.948 amu. This suggests that argon-40 contributes significantly more to this average than the other isotopes. Hence, argon-40 is found in higher quantities in nature compared to argon-36 and argon-38.
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