The relative atomic mass of chlorine is not a whole number because

Chemistry

WAEC 2014

A. it is the weighted average mass of all its various isotopes
B. it is the average mass of all the isotopes of the element
C. the element has strong oxidizing ability
D. the atom contains a higher number of neutrons than protons

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation

The relative atomic mass of an element is calculated as a weighted average of the masses of its naturally occurring isotopes. Because the isotopes of chlorine (\(^{35}\)Cl and \(^{37}\)Cl) occur in different proportions (natural abundance), their masses are averaged according to those percentages. The resulting value (approximately 35.5) is not a whole number because it reflects this proportional distribution rather than the mass of a single atom.

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