Question

1. find the element phosphorus, p, on the periodic table. a. what is the average atomic mass of phosphorus? b. what is its atomic number? c. predict which isotope you would find in greatest abundance for phosphorus.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall periodic - table properties

We can directly look up the values from the periodic table for parts a and b. For part c, the most abundant isotope is usually close in mass to the average atomic mass.

Step2: Find average atomic mass

Looking at the periodic table, the average atomic mass of phosphorus ($P$) is approximately 30.973762 u.

Step3: Find atomic number

The atomic number of phosphorus is 15.

Step4: Predict most - abundant isotope

Since the average atomic mass is close to 31 u, the most abundant isotope of phosphorus is $^{31}P$.

Answer:

a. 30.973762 u
b. 15
c. $^{31}P$