Naturally occurring silver consists of two isotopes: 107^Ag (51.84%) with an isotopic mass of 106.9051 and 109^Ag (48.16%) with an isotopic mass of 108.9048. What is the atomic weight of silver? Check your answer in a periodic table.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the isotopes of silver and their respective abundances and isotopic masses: 107^Ag with 51.84% abundance and isotopic mass of 106.9051, and 109^Ag with 48.16% abundance and isotopic mass of 108.9048.
2. Convert the percentage abundances into decimal form by dividing each by 100: 51.84% becomes 0.5184 and 48.16% becomes 0.4816.
3. Calculate the contribution of each isotope to the atomic weight by multiplying the isotopic mass by its decimal abundance: for 107^Ag, multiply 106.9051 by 0.5184; for 109^Ag, multiply 108.9048 by 0.4816.
4. Add the contributions from each isotope to find the average atomic weight of silver.
5. Verify the calculated atomic weight by comparing it to the value listed in the periodic table.

Key Concepts

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses. For silver, the two isotopes are 107^Ag and 109^Ag, each contributing to the element's average atomic weight based on their relative abundances.

Atomic Weight Calculation

The atomic weight of an element is calculated as the weighted average of the masses of its isotopes, taking into account their relative abundances. This involves multiplying the mass of each isotope by its percentage abundance (expressed as a fraction) and summing these values to obtain the overall atomic weight.

Periodic Table

The periodic table organizes elements based on their atomic number and properties, providing essential information such as atomic weights. Checking the atomic weight of silver in the periodic table allows for verification of calculations and understanding of the element's characteristics in a broader context.