Enter the isotopic mass and isotopic abundance into the calculator to determine the natural abundance of an element. The calculator will provide the natural abundance in atomic mass units (u).
Natural Abundance Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the natural abundance of an element:
NA = IM * (IA / 100)
Variables:
- NA is the natural abundance (u)
- IM is the isotopic mass (u)
- IA is the isotopic abundance (%)
To calculate the natural abundance, multiply the isotopic mass by the isotopic abundance (as a percentage of 100).
What is Natural Abundance?
Natural abundance refers to the relative proportion of isotopes of a chemical element as naturally found on Earth. It is usually expressed as a percentage and represents the average mass of those isotopes in a given sample. This value is important in various scientific fields, including chemistry, physics, and geology, as it affects the atomic weight of elements and can influence the outcome of chemical reactions and physical processes.
How to Calculate Natural Abundance?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Natural Abundance:
- First, determine the isotopic mass (IM) of the element in atomic mass units (u).
- Next, determine the isotopic abundance (IA) of the element as a percentage.
- Use the formula NA = IM * (IA / 100) to calculate the natural abundance.
- Finally, calculate the Natural Abundance (NA) in atomic mass units (u).
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem:
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Isotopic mass (IM) = 63.929142 u
Isotopic abundance (IA) = 69.17 %
