The mass of one atom of oxygen is approximately 2.66 x 10-23 grams.
To understand this, let's break it down:
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Atomic Mass Unit (amu): The atomic mass of oxygen is approximately 16 atomic mass units (amu). This is a relative mass based on carbon-12.
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Converting amu to grams: We need to convert amu to grams to find the actual mass in grams. The conversion factor is:
1 amu = 1.66054 x 10-24 grams
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Calculation: Therefore, the mass of one oxygen atom in grams is:
16 amu x 1.66054 x 10-24 grams/amu ≈ 2.66 x 10-23 grams
In summary, while the reference provided 166.023×1023g, which is incorrect; the mass of a single oxygen atom is about 2.66 x 10-23 grams. This small number reflects the tiny scale of atoms.
