Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Gallium has two isotopes: gallium-69 of mass u and gallium-71 of mass u. Its average atomic mass is u. What percentage of gallium atoms are gallium-69?
One atomic mass unit, , is one twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom. The average atomic mass of an element is , where is the mass of each isotope and its share in percent. The molecular mass, or the formula mass of an ionic compound, is the sum of the atomic masses of all the atoms in the formula.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The equation. .
Step 2. Solve. , so and .
Step 3. As percentages. Gallium-69 is , and gallium-71 is .
Check. The average u is nearer to u, so gallium-69 should be the more common. It is.
Answer: gallium-69 and gallium-71.
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