Answer :
Final answer:
To calculate the average atomic mass unit of gold, we use the formula avg. amu = (percent abundance of Au-197)(atomic mass of Au-197) + (percent abundance of Au-198)(atomic mass of Au-198). Substituting the given values, the average atomic mass of gold is 197.5 amu.
Explanation:
To calculate the average atomic mass unit (amu) of gold (Au), we need to consider the atomic masses of the two isotopes and their percent abundances.
Given that 50% is Au-197 and 50% is Au-198, we can calculate the average atomic mass unit using the equation:
average atomic mass = (percent abundance of Au-197)(atomic mass of Au-197) + (percent abundance of Au-198)(atomic mass of Au-198)
Substituting the given values:
average atomic mass = (0.50)(197 amu) + (0.50)(198 amu) = 98.5 amu + 99 amu = 197.5 amu
Therefore, the average atomic mass unit of gold is 197.5 amu.
