Question

how are the masses on the periodic table determined? why? most elements have more than one naturally - occurring isotope. as you learned previously, the atoms of those isotopes have the same atomic number (number of protons), making them belong to the same element, but they have different mass numbers (total number of protons and neutrons) giving them different atomic masses. so which mass is put on the periodic table for each element? is it the most common isotopes mass? the heaviest mass? this activity will help answer that question. model 1 - a strip of magnesium metal

Explanation:

The masses on the periodic table are average atomic masses. They are calculated as a weighted - average of the masses of an element's naturally - occurring isotopes, taking into account the relative abundance of each isotope.

Answer:

The masses on the periodic table are average atomic masses, calculated as weighted - averages of the masses of an element's naturally - occurring isotopes based on their relative abundances.