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Atomic Weight Definition

Chemistry Glossary Terms

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com

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Definition: The average mass of atoms of an element, calculated using the relative abundance of isotopes in a naturally-occurring element. It is the weighted average of the masses of naturally-occurring isotopes.

Also Known As: Atomic Mass

Examples: The atomic mass of carbon is 12.011; the atomic mass of hydrogen is 1.0079

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