The atomic mass of hydrogen is calculated by considering the mass of its protons and neutrons.
Understanding Atomic Mass
The atomic mass of an element is fundamentally the total mass of protons and neutrons in its atom's nucleus. Here's a breakdown for hydrogen:
- Protons: Hydrogen has one proton. The mass of a single proton is approximately 1.007 atomic mass units (u), or $1.67 \times 10^{-24}$ grams.
- Neutrons: The most common isotope of hydrogen (protium) has no neutrons.
- Electrons: Though present, the mass of the electrons are so small compared to the protons and neutrons, they are often not considered when calculating atomic mass.
Calculation
Because hydrogen only has one proton and no neutrons, the atomic mass is essentially the mass of a single proton.
- Atomic Mass of Hydrogen ≈ Mass of 1 Proton = 1.007 u
The reference indicates that the mass of 1 proton is $1.67\times {{10}^{-24}}g$ or 1.007 u. This is also close to the atomic mass unit (u), which is $1.66 \times 10^{-24}g$. However, for practical purposes, we generally round this value to 1.008 u (or simply 1 u). Therefore, for most calculations, we use 1 u as the atomic mass of hydrogen.
Key Points
- Hydrogen's most abundant form has only one proton and no neutrons.
- The atomic mass is primarily determined by the mass of its protons and neutrons.
- The atomic mass of hydrogen is approximately 1.007 u or 1.008 u, often rounded to 1 u.
