Select the correct answer.

Vitellium (Vi) has the following composition:
- Vi-188: 187.9122 amu; [tex]10.861\%[/tex]
- Vi-191: 190.9047 amu; [tex]12.428\%[/tex]
- Vi-193: 192.8938 amu; [tex]76.711\%[/tex]

Based on this data, what can you predict about the average atomic mass of vitellium?

A. It will be equal to the arithmetic mean of the masses of the three isotopes.
B. It will be closer to the mass of Vi-188.
C. It will be closer to the mass of Vi-193.
D. It will be equal to the mass of Vi-193.

To determine the average atomic mass of vitellium based on the given isotopic data, you need to consider both the masses and the relative abundances of each isotope. Here is a step-by-step solution:

1. Understand the Isotopic Data:
- Vi-188 has a mass of 187.9122 amu and an abundance of 10.861%.
- Vi-191 has a mass of 190.9047 amu and an abundance of 12.428%.
- Vi-193 has a mass of 192.8938 amu and an abundance of 76.711%.

2. Convert Abundances from Percentages to Proportions:
- Vi-188: 10.861% becomes 0.10861
- Vi-191: 12.428% becomes 0.12428
- Vi-193: 76.711% becomes 0.76711

3. Compute the Weighted Average:
To find the average atomic mass, calculate the weighted sum of the masses using their respective proportions:

[tex]\[
\text{Average Atomic Mass} = (187.9122 \times 0.10861) + (190.9047 \times 0.12428) + (192.8938 \times 0.76711)
\][/tex]

4. Interpret the Result:
The calculated average atomic mass is approximately 192.11 amu. Given that Vi-193 has the largest contribution to this average due to its high abundance, the average atomic mass is closest to the mass of Vi-193.

Thus, the correct prediction is:

C. It will be closer to the mass of Vi-193.