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A random sample of carbon contains two isotopes: C-12 and C-13 with masses of 12.00 amu (5.00 %) and 12.99 amu (95.00 %) respectively. Determine the average atomic mass of this carbon sample and explain if your sample was a good representation of earth’s natural isotope abundance of carbon

The average atomic mass of this carbon sample is 12.011 amu. This sample is a good representation of earth’s natural isotope abundance of carbon, as it closely matches the natural abundance of C-12 (98.89%) and C-13 (1.11%) on Earth.

Did you know?

Did you know that carbon, the basic building block of all living organisms, is made up of different isotopes with varying masses? In a random sample of carbon, there are two isotopes: C-12, which makes up approximately 5.00% of the sample and has a mass of 12.00 amu, and C-13, which makes up 95.00% of the sample and has a mass of 12.99 amu. By calculating the average atomic mass of this carbon sample, we can determine the weighted average of the masses of the two isotopes. In this case, the average atomic mass would be closer to 12.99 amu since C-13 is more abundant. However, it's important to note that this sample may not be a perfect representation of Earth's natural abundance of carbon isotopes. Earth's natural isotopic abundance of carbon is approximately 98.9% C-12 and 1.1% C-13, meaning that this sample has a higher percentage of C-13 than would be expected in the natural environment.